


Renovate My Heart

by teapotscandal, XanderB



Category: Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan
Genre: 1st runner up best fic of the year 2016 Ereri Awards, Adoption, Alpha Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Alpha/Beta/Omega Dynamics, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anal Fingering, Anal Sex, Angst and Fluff and Smut, Animal Instincts, Body Worship, Bonding, Bottom Eren Yeager, Break ups and make ups, Cockblocking Canines, Crossdressing, Daddy Issues, Domestic Fluff, Emotional Baggage, Eventual Happy Ending, Exhibitionism, Explicit Language, Explicit Sexual Content, Fast smut, Humor, IT - Freeform, Infertility, Knotting, Landscaping and construction, M/M, Marketing and advertisement, Mates, Mating, Mating Bites, Mating Bond, Mating Cycles/In Heat, Mild domestic abuse, Mpreg, Mutual Pining, OF, Omega Eren Yeager, Omega Verse, Oral Sex, Panties, Read, Relationship(s), Rimming, Romantic Comedy, Scent Marking, Scenting, Semi-Public Sex, Sexual Tension, Side Relationships - Freeform, Slice of Life, Slow Romance, Tags, They date other people briefly. There is no sex within other pairings, Top Levi (Shingeki no Kyojin), Warm and Fuzzy Feelings, afraid, be, don't, mild violence, not between Levi and Eren, seriously, the
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-03
Updated: 2018-07-07
Packaged: 2018-08-12 17:11:58
Rating: Explicit
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 35
Words: 219,883
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7942516
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/teapotscandal/pseuds/teapotscandal, https://archiveofourown.org/users/XanderB/pseuds/XanderB
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>
  <i>"I'm sorry. Do I smell like paint fumes?" Eren asked, batting his green eyes innocently, but with a cheeky smile, knowing exactly what the problem was.</i>
</p>
<p>
  <i>Levi slanted his gaze to his passenger, his right hand lazily draped over the steering wheel, leaning on his left along the open window. "No. You smell good to be honest. I just don't want to order wood <b>with</b> wood if you catch my drift," he replied with a half smirk before his silvery gaze shifted back to the road.</i>
</p>
<p>Levi Ackerman is an Alpha and a contractor with commitment issues. Eren Jäeger is an unbonded and infertile Omega who has just moved to a new town and bought a new house. He hires Levi to landscape his yard and both are immediately struck with intense and potent attraction, highly compatible in ways neither of them have ever experienced before. Levi's not like other Alphas Eren's been involved with and Eren makes Levi feel in ways he shouldn't. What happens when casual becomes complicated and lust evolves into so much more? Follow them as they redefine what it means to fall in love and learn what it really means to be bonded.</p>
<p>Disclaimer: We don't own Shingeki no Kyojin or its characters.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Designing Desire

**Author's Note:**

> Hey guys! So here is yet another collab from us. Yes, we don't sleep (much) or do pretty much anything but write apparently XD. Anyways, we held a vote, but it was kinda a flop because we are silly and didn't note it in all of our updated works instead of just the one... To anyone who did end up voting. We appreciated it. There is another new one we'll be posting likely next week along with various updates, so do keep an eye out. This one's dedicated to all our loyal fans that pretty much read our every work and show us so much support. You guys are wonderful ego boosters, so thanks for that!
> 
> Enjoy!
> 
> **Warning:** This work is rated mature for graphic depictions of nudity, sexuality, violence, and some imagery that may be disturbing. Viewer discretion is advised.

Signing his name at the end of pages and pages of paperwork, Eren Jaeger sighed then sat back in his plush victorian couch in his front room. He was finally doing it; applying to adopt. It was his lifelong dream to have children, but it had been a long road to reach this conclusion. Being infertile just meant his dream would be a little more difficult to achieve than it was for most people. Especially when he didn’t have an Alpha who would stick by a defective Omega. 

Standing up, Eren stretched, looking out the window for the millionth time as he gathered up the papers to put in his office. The contractor was supposed to be at Eren’s hours ago; no phone call or email explaining that the Alpha would be late had been received. Eren was already stressed out about the adoption application and work. A tardy employee just added to the list. 

Finally, there was a knock at the door. Eren stomped over to his front door and ripped it open, ready to destroy the guy. “Do you know what God damn time it…” he started before he got a good look at the Alpha standing on his front door step. “... Hello,” he finished his sentence as his inner Omega screamed at the smoking hot Alpha before him. 

Levi Ackerman inclined his head as the door to his newest client's home was wrenched open, his knock answered by a tall, lithe, and livid Omega looking for all the world as if he wanted to tear the Alpha apart before those blazing green eyes ran up and down his body. Levi cocked an coverall clad hip, the sleeves tied loosely at his waist and crossed his arms over his firm chest, biceps flexing against the fabric of the white t-shirt he generally wore for work. A little smirk quirked up the corner of pale lips and his own silvery gaze slid down the slim frame, lingering on plump hips and long legs before slowly crawling back up to the brunette's face. 

"Hello, sorry I'm late. There was an emergency and I'm afraid I misplaced my cell. I'm Levi," he introduced, offering one pale calloused hand to the Omega, other arm still tucked against his chest.

Levi worked in the field while his uncle was the legitimate runner of the business, though Levi was technically his business partner. The younger Alpha had never cared for the paperwork and was never the desk job type, always good with his hands and with an eye for design, it had been natural for him to take on the physical part of Ackerman Construction and Landscaping. He'd been doing the job for nearly fifteen years now and in all that time he could never recall having been greeted with as attractive a sight as Eren Jaeger, their most recent client. And unbonded at that by the lack of mating marks on his tanned skin.

Eren swallowed thickly as he took Levi's hand to shake, feeling his heartbeat quicken the moment he felt the man's skin. "Eren..." he replied, letting go of the warm hand that made his stomach flutter, "It’s okay. Just try and let me know next time if you can." 

Before his body forced him to bend over and present, Eren turned away from the door, leading the way to the back yard. "You can keep your shoes on," Eren called behind him, "The house is full of dust from renovations anyway." He cursed himself for deciding to paint today, wearing ratty paint covered jeans and an old white band t-shirt. At least his ass looked good in everything. 

Shaking his head, Eren opened the French double doors of his living room to the spacious backyard. A backyard without a fence and desperately needing some professional landscaping.

Levi licked his lips, scenting the thread of interest in the air, his own rising in response as he followed the obviously single Omega. With a slight smirk still clinging to the corner of his lips, he lagged after the brunette, following him down the hall, half dilated and half lidded mercury depths glued to the firm rear and accented curve of plush denim clad hips swaying before him. 

"Whatever you say **boss** ," he said in a low rumbling tone, coming to stand just behind the Omega and looking out over the backyard beyond Eren's shoulder, close enough for his breath to stir the soft strands of chestnut at the younger male's nape.

Eren felt the man's breath on his neck and jumped to the side, blushing against his will. "H-Here's the yard," he began, rubbing the back of his neck, "I need a privacy fence and of course landscaping done. Something easy to maintain, but looks good. I'm all by myself and the yard is huge so I need something with little upkeep."

He stole a glance at the pale Alpha and immediately noticed that he had no mating mark. It was true the man didn't smell like mate, but it was always good to make sure. He took a breath, inhaling the man's scent into his lungs, forgetting about discretion for a moment. It was not unusual to scent someone you just met, but it definitely wasn't polite, especially when they were both unmated and Eren knew he couldn't stop his want from lacing his own scent. 

Damn... His heat must be soon. Usually he could control himself better than this. Must be all the stress of moving to a new city and buying his first home. Not to mention the huge promotion.

Levi hummed as he surveyed the yard, nostrils flaring as the Omega's scent grew stronger and curled in the air around them, his interest clear in the steadily sweetening aroma. The Alpha looked him over again sidelong from beneath his thick lashes. "How low maintenance are we talking? I can put in stones or mulch and a patio if you want virtually no maintenance or I can just put in a deck and small cobbled path with some low key gardens and leave some grass so long as you don't mind having someone cut it or do it yourself," he said in the same low, smokey tone, unable to control the husky quality to it as his own interest peaked further in instinctive and not wholly unwanted desire. His own sea salt citrus scent permeated and mingled in the air with Eren's. It seemed to him that the attraction was mutual. He certainly wouldn't mind spending a little time off the clock with the pretty brunette.

"U-um the second option. Do it myself," Eren said, tilting his head to the side slightly without realizing it, still smelling the man beside him. "I want grass still. So y-yeah. That'll be good," Eren rambled. 

Eren really wanted to hit himself. He was acting like a freshly presented Omega, lusting after any Alpha that came to his door. He was better than this. Who cared if Levi was probably the hottest man he'd ever seen? Not Eren. This man was working for him. It was entirely unprofessional to ogle him. 

Eren silently continued to berate himself as he avoided the Alpha’s gaze. There was no way the man couldn't smell Eren. This was beyond embarrassing.

Levi nodded his head, swallowing against the sudden onslaught of saliva in his mouth, a humming purr of approval vibrating in his chest without his conscious consent. He cleared his throat, abruptly cutting the sound off before he got himself into any trouble. He was _supposed_ to be working. He could flirt off the clock. Besides he very much doubted that his newest client would want to pay for the half-assed job that he was likely to do if he got too distracted. He'd certainly be less inclined to let Levi spend a night or two in his bed, that was for sure. It was pretty clear that the Omega was successful and the Alpha very much doubted the younger male would settle for a lazy Alpha, even for a fling.

His eyes slid over Eren's face, following his jawline to the presented column of his throat and he had to physically force himself not to lean in to bury his nose against the subtly tanned flesh.

"Alright, anything else? Specific colour stain for the wood and stones, plants, or design before I head to the hardware store?" He asked, jaw twitching as he spoke and forced his eyes away from the tempting display, though he could do nothing about his thickening scent. They must be highly compatible considering the intensity of his reaction to Eren's scent and the ferocious instinct to bury his face against that delicious neck, to mark, and bend the other male over.

The design question caught Eren off-guard. "I'm not sure. Can I come with you so you can show me my options, maybe? I've never picked out stain before," Eren said, biting at his lower lip with worry. He didn't want his yard to look like shit because he had no idea what to pick. He guessed he could always let Levi pick it out himself, but this was **his** house.

"Sure, if you want," the Alpha agreed, shifting his weight idly before he jerked his chin back towards the front where his hunter green extended cab, Dodge pickup was parked, "Follow me." He patted at the right pocket of his coveralls for his keys, trying to distract himself from the alluring scent and the thought of being trapped in the cab of his truck with that scent and the equally alluring Omega it belonged to.

Eren beamed brightly down at the Alpha. He thought Levi might refuse him and was glad that he hadn't. The Omega had been to the hardware store by himself trying to pick things out ahead of time, but he’d been so overwhelmed by all the options, he’d ran out of the store without deciding anything. “Thank you,” he said, bouncing on the balls of his feet, “I appreciate your help. I'm sorry I wasn't prepared, but renovating is a lot more… Overwhelming than I thought it'd be when I started.” 

"Don't worry about it. You aren't the first client that was undecided," Levi dismissed nonchalantly, leading the way back to the front door and out to his truck. It unlocked with a sharp chirp as he thumbed the button and slipped around the passenger side to open the door for the Omega, smiling charmingly as he gestured for Eren to get in.

Eren rolled his eyes at the Alpha’s chivalry as he hopped into the truck. The inside of the cab was completely spotless to Eren's surprise. Construction workers tended to be quite dirty in his experience. 

"Nice truck. Did you just get it detailed," Eren asked as Levi got into the driver’s seat and turned the key to make the engine roar to life. They were now trapped together in the cab where Eren was surrounded by the Alpha’s scent. He had to suppress a Omegan whine from escaping his chest. Maybe he should hold his breath for the trip.

Levi rolled down both windows immediately once the truck had rumbled to life. He glanced sidelong at the Omega, draping his right arm over the back of Eren's seat while he pulled out of the driveway. "Nah. That shit's a waste of money. I just like to keep things tidy myself," he said as he looked back over his shoulder as he backed out onto the street, catching Eren's eye briefly as he removed his arm again to shift into drive and take off towards the hardware store, glad that their scents weren't as suffocating with the rush of air through the open windows.

Eren almost laughed out loud when Levi rolled down the windows. He wasn't the only one having trouble with the scents then. "I'm sorry. Do I smell like paint fumes?" Eren asked, batting his green eyes innocently, but with a cheeky smile, knowing exactly what the problem was.

Levi slanted his gaze to his passenger, his right hand lazily draped over the steering wheel, leaning on his left along the open window. "No. You smell good to be honest. I just don't want to order wood _with_ wood if you catch my drift," he replied with a half smirk before his silvery gaze shifted back to the road.

Eren burst into laughter, unable to contain his chuckles at Levi's response. He leaned over and clutched his sides as his voice rang like bells through the vehicle. "I... I can't believe you j-just... Just said that," he wheezed, trying to get air as he wiped tears from his eyes.

Levi's smile broadened and the Alpha chuckled, "Should I have lied?" he questioned in a humoured tone, his scent curling around him, calm for the most part, but with the potential to become much stronger, affectionate and naturally dominant with sharp hints of desire. He was starting to like this Omega.

Eren sat up straight and returned Levi's smile. "Nah you're good. That was hilarious," he said, as he lifted his arm and smelled himself, wrinkling his nose. His scent was fucking **strong**. Armin had always told him he smelled like a mixture of vanilla and coconut but he wasn't sure. "Sorry about this. Dunno what's wrong with me. Must be all the stress. If it bothers you while you're working I'll run to the drug store and get scent maskers," he said plainly. Eren was an honest guy and beating around the bush was exhausting.

"It's fine. It's not bad," the Alpha said, eyes on the street, his head tilted a little as he drove, lax and at ease behind the wheel as if it was usual for him to be chauffeuring an attractive, single Omega around with him. He stopped at a red light and glanced at the young man, "Don't worry about it." The hardware store was only a couple blocks further. He didn't want Eren to think the alluring scent was unappealing or that he was uninterested. If Eren offered, he wasn't going to refuse, so long as he was off the clock. They were both unmated and mature enough to make that choice if they wanted. It didn't have to mean anything.

"Well, let me know. Working while uncomfortable is fucking shit," Eren said before he sighed and sat back in his seat, looking out the window as the wind ruffled his brown hair. The sigh was layered with double meaning, like the man was struggling with the problem personally, which he was.

Levi hummed his acknowledgement, drumming his fingers against the wheel. "No problem. I'm good. Where'd you move from?" He asked, making idle conversation as he continued down the street and turned into the plaza where the store was located.

"Shiganshina," Eren replied, happy to get over the earlier awkwardness and relax back into easy chit chat. "Grew up there. My whole family is there as well all my friends. It was hard to make the decision to leave. How about you? Always been in Trost?"

"Mm, more or less. My ma moved here after she left my dad so my uncle could help her out. Been here ever since. We started the business while I was still an apprentice," Levi replied idly in response while he maneuvered around the lot to find a parking spot close to the warehouse entrance.

"Oh that's nice," Eren said with a smile before he bit his lip at his next question. Levi backed into a spot smoothly, putting his arm over the back of Eren's seat again as he looked back. Eren breathed in the Alpha's citrus scent once more before the man rolled up the windows and took the keys from the ignition. Levi smelled **damn** good. "You should show me around the city sometime, since you're the only person I've met outside of work," Eren said nonchalantly, not giving Levi a chance to reject him as he jumped out of the truck and started to walk towards the store entrance without waiting for the man to catch up.

Levi lagged behind the Omega, a pleased little grin on his lips. He tucked his thumbs into the tied folds of his coveralls at his hips and sauntered after Eren, confidence rolling off him in heady waves. He definitely wouldn't mind taking Eren out and showing him the city.

Once inside the store, he caught up to Eren, nudging him lightly in the shoulder, "Hey the stain is a couple aisles that way," he gestured with one hand, unconsciously hovering close to the alluring male, "I'm going to go put in the order for the lumber. I'll come find you when I'm done, alright?"

"Kay," Eren said with a smile, playfully knocking his hip into Levi's before he turned to walk towards the stain aisle. He was feeling more confident under the man's steely gaze. Plus the interest in the Alpha’s scent was hard to mistake. Levi oozed dominance and it made Eren's knees quiver. He trotted away in the direction Levi pointed. 

Eren soon noticed that he must be releasing quite the scent in the store, stopping several Alphas and even some Betas right in their tracks as he passed by. He kept his head down, not making eye contact as he made his way down the aisle in search of the stain. 

"Fuck," he said to himself. The whole damn aisle was different shades of stain. He glanced up and down and side to side, not sure where he should start. 

Trailing his hands over the labels of the cans, Eren walked down the aisle and then spotted an interesting colour at the bottom of the shelf. He bent over to get a better look when someone spoke directly behind him, causing him to jump. 

"Need help?" the unknown Alpha asked, standing way too close and smirking as his eyes trailed disgustingly down Eren's body, making the Omega’s skin crawl. The scent coming from the stranger was pungent and made Eren’s stomach turn.

Eren scowled. "No, thank you," he said before he turned around and tried to walk away, scanning the aisle for help, but there was no one around.

"Aw c'mon," the Alpha said, grabbing Eren's wrist and pulling him back, "Let me help you, baby." He leaned in close to scent Eren, making gross sniffing noises. 

"I don't need it," Eren spit, trying to pull his hand away as he flattened himself against the shelf at his back, fear starting to rise in his body. If he needed it, Eren knew self defence, but for some stupid reason, he felt himself freezing in the situation; he wasn’t used to being harassed so aggressively. Nothing like this had ever happened to him in Shiganshina.


	2. Laying Lust

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Check out our other new story posted today!! [Luck of the Irish](http://archiveofourown.org/works/7947454/chapters/18170575)

Levi nodded to the Alpha that had just reiterated his order to him and promised to have it ready and waiting by the warehouse doors once he and his client were finished with the rest of their shopping. He inclined his head in gratitude and turned on his booted heel to search out the Omega, an odd feeling of urgency rising in him. He scented the air, following the threads of Eren's aroma through the store, pace quickening when the alluring smell became embittered with distress. 

He rounded the shelves to the stain aisle, eyes narrowing swiftly and scent flaring with dominant warning and unwarranted possession as he saw another Alpha hovering around Eren, looming over the brunette and backing him against the shelving.

A low growl of irritated distaste sounded from his throat and he strode purposefully over to the pair. Eren's discomfort was obvious, his rising anxiety palpable.

"Hey sweetness, sorry I took so long," he said as if he had the right, as if Eren were his, tone unconcerned as if he hadn't noticed what was going on as he approached. 

"Oh, something I can help you with **bud?** " he greeted the other Alpha, slipping next to Eren and forcing the pushy Alpha back away from him, muscular arm curling possessively around the Omega's waist, a feral glint in his narrowed winter gaze.

Eren sputtered in shock, but didn't move away from Levi as the unknown Alpha backed off a few steps but didn't retreat. "He doesn't have a mating mark and doesn't smell like an Alpha. You sure he's your Omega?" the unfamiliar Alpha questioned as he narrowed his eyes suspiciously like he had some sort of right to Eren. 

Coming back to himself, Eren draped himself across Levi's side and leaned down to nuzzle his nose into the man's neck. "He's **my** Alpha. Go away asshole," he said, trembling only slightly as he clung to Levi, his hand grasping the hem of the man's shirt and feeling smooth skin brush across his knuckles.

"Does it look like I'm unsure?" Levi said, an unexpected and potent wave of pride washing through him in response to Eren's proclamation and his sudden closeness. Levi stared the other Alpha down though he was several inches shorter, defiant and unwavering, daring the other male to challenge him further. Levi’s scent became heavy in the aisle and settled over Eren, soothing with protectiveness. Just because the Omega _wasn't_ his didn't mean he couldn't offer him the assurance and assistance in warding off unwanted attention.

"Sorry, man," the Alpha apologized to Levi, then skulked down the aisle and away. Eren relaxed immediately once the unknown Alpha disappeared from sight, leaning heavily on Levi as he tried to steady his heart rate. The Alpha was putting out such a comforting smell, that Eren unconsciously nosed his way into the man's scent gland, using it to calm himself down. "Thanks," he breathed in a daze, continuing to cling to Levi and making no move to back away.

The raven Alpha watched the other Alpha retreat and tilted his head a little unconsciously to give the Omega held firmly against him better access to his throat as Eren buried his nose against the soft skin there. 

"Not a problem. You alright?" he asked, voice lower and deeper than it had been, thick with dominance and lingering desire. His scent was still strong, possessive and protective and just a tad aggressive, warning for any other Alphas in the vicinity to keep away from the brunette at his side.

"I'm... Okay," Eren said, finally leaning away from Levi's neck, but staying in the comforting circle of Levi's arms. A little whine escaped his throat as he smelled the possessive dominance rolling off of Levi, surrounding him in a protective bubble as citrus and coconut scents collided and mingled in the air. "Sorry for saying you were my Alpha," he said, blushing brightly as his hands rested lightly on Levi's chest, "And sorry for making you have to step in. I shoulda just punched that asshole."

"Don't even worry about it. I should be so lucky to be your Alpha even if it is just to ward off pushy pricks," Levi said with a flirty grin tilting his lips, warmth pooling in the liquid mercury of his eyes. He winked at Eren and gave him a little squeeze around the waist before he let him go. The mingling of their scents was appealing to the Alpha in a deeply instinctive way. They seemed to be highly compatible in a manner he'd never experienced with any Omega before, but he pushed the thought to the back of his mind. He didn't do relationships. Dating and casual definitely, but he'd never been the type for settling down. Bonding and brats weren't his cup of tea.

"So did you see any stains you liked before you were so rudely interrupted?"

Eren's body cried out in protest as Levi moved away. The Omega refused to initiate contact once again though so he instead mourned the loss of the Alpha’s heat and protective scent and forced himself to focus. Eren looked back at the shelf then bent over to point to the stain he liked. "I like this one," he said, still leaning over with one hand resting on the shelf for support as his ass arched in the air.

Levi's gaze followed the dip of Eren's back to his rear unconsciously when the Omega bent over and he licked his lips. He forced himself to look to where Eren was pointing instead, stepping next to him and leaning over to pick one of the cans up, resting his hand on the small of the brunette's back, palm warm even through the paint spattered fabric of his shirt. He couldn't consciously help the desire to touch him again even though he had just let him go. Eren was so responsive. How was he supposed to resist?

Eren shivered under the Alpha’s warm touch, silently screaming in ecstasy that Levi initiated contact again. Even as the Omega stood up to inspect the stain, the warm hand remained on his back, burning him through his t-shirt. “W-Will that work?” Eren asked shyly, not mentioning the hand in case that would make Levi move it, “It’s a pretty colour.” 

The Alpha's fingertips rubbed against the Omega's back idly as he scanned over the label on the can of stain to be sure it was fine for outdoor use. "Hm, should be alright. It'll turn out a little lighter than what it shows here, is that alright?" he said, glancing at Eren and offering him the can in his unoccupied hand.

Eren arched his back under Levi's teasing ministrations, not really giving a damn about the stain at this point. He took the can from Levi though, almost dropping it as he was unprepared for the weight. "Whoops," he giggled, "Guess you're stronger than me." With a cheeky smile, he touched Levi's bicep with his free hand, feeling the hard muscle there. "Yup, much stronger. Must be all the construction work you do," he said, looking into Levi's eyes with a heated gaze before he removed his hand and went back to the stain. He inspected the label and said, "Lighter is fine. Think it'll look good?"

Levi's pupils dilated halfway as he watched Eren and felt the light squeeze to his bicep. Oh yeah, Eren was definitely responsive. He had to clear his throat before he could answer and even then, his voice came out low and rough, "Oh yeah; it'll definitely look good," he said, though he wasn't looking at the stain, but the Omega instead.

He wet his lips and offered his other hand to take the can back from Eren, "Here, I'll carry it. We still need a couple things. You wanna pick out the stone for the path and the plants you want for the gardens?" He managed to ask, hand lightly smoothing up and down Eren's spine, unable to remove it for some reason and subtly scenting the young man while he touched him.

"Mmm yes..." Eren sighed as he handed Levi the stain and leaned back into the Alpha’s touch. With half lidded eyes he smiled crookedly at the man and said, "I'll need your help with that as well."

"Sure thing boss, I'm all yours," Levi replied with a little smirk, using the hand on Eren's back to guide him out of the stain aisle and a few rows down where there were samples of garden stone on display.

Eren walked slowly up the aisle, inspecting the samples, but never straying from the Alpha’s touch. If he did lose contact, he would immediately move back to regain it, not wanting the warm pressure on his back to end.

Once he'd seen all the options, he bit his lip, looking back and forth down the aisle and he leaned into Levi for comfort. "That one is really nice," he said, pointing out the stone with his finger, "But that one over there would look better with the stain." He sighed and shifted nervously from foot to foot then looked to Levi. "What do you think, Alpha?" he asked, like the man was his mate and would make decisions as his Alpha.

The Alpha didn't say anything about the obvious touch seeking behaviour, nor did he call Eren out on his use of language generally reserved for mated couples. He simply hummed, sliding his hand up to the back of the Omega's neck to massage calloused fingertips just below his nape idly to settle the rising nervousness that Eren was exhibiting while seemingly losing his confidence in his own decision making.

He scrutinized the stone that Eren pointed out and considered them for long moments, mapping out the Omega's yard design in his head. "I can use both, if you like. I can use the better matching one to accent the path. It'll add a nice touch and give an eclectic look to the yard," he said after a few silent moments of thought, glancing sidelong at the Omega from under his thick lashes, warmth and more than a little interest in the slivered silver glinting beneath the veil of half closed lids.

Eren sighed audibly with contentment as he relaxed into Levi's caress. "Okay, let's do that then," he said, stress leaving his body as he was reassured by the Alpha. His scent rose, cheerful and carefree now that the decision had been made and he beamed at Levi, bouncing slightly with excitement. "I can't wait to see how the yard will turn out. It'll be beautiful. Once everything is finished, I'm going to throw a party and invite my family and friends up," he chattered away, finally moving away from Levi's touch now that he was calm.

"Well, I'll certainly try to make it as beautiful as you imagine," Levi said, dropping his hand to his side and smiling easily at Eren's returned exuberance. "They have a nice selection of patio sets if you'd like to take a look at them before we go as well. I'm thinking of doing a wrap around deck, so you'll have plenty of space for it," he offered, turning to lead the way further down the aisle and towards the greenhouse where the plants were kept, memorizing the product numbers for the stone he'd be ordering and calculating the number of each he thought would be necessary for the length of the path he'd be putting in. The patio furnishings were situated just before the automatic doors leading out to the garden center.

"Hm," Eren said, almost skipping beside Levi as they walked towards the garden centre. "I was going to order a set from Restoration Hardware. But I guess I should see if I like anything cheaper even though I got the money to burn." They reached the patio furniture and Eren immediately was in shopping mode now that he was buying something he actually knew about. "You can go pick out the plants," Eren said to Levi, inspecting a table set, "I know nothing about them so I'll leave it to you. I trust you."

Levi nodded, rubbing a hand over the side of his neck before leaning in closer to Eren and running that same hand along his spine again to scent him before he left him unattended again. He hoped it would be enough to ward off any other Alphas that might attempt to approach the unmated Omega again. He stepped away as soon as he was satisfied with the potency of the protective scent, assuming that Eren wouldn't mind, considering how responsive he'd been thus far and sure the Omega would appreciate the gesture after his previous altercation.

"Alright, I'll pick some low maintenance perennials and some mulch to match the deck and stone," he said as he stepped away from the Omega and swaggered off through the glass doors into the humid greenhouse, acquiring a flat cart just inside, setting the stain on it before he disappeared from view, perusing the plants on display.

Eren suppressed a shudder as Levi scent marked his back. He knew why the man did it, so that he wouldn't be bothered when he was alone again. But it almost drove Eren into jumping on the man and taking him right on the lawn furniture in the middle of the store. Taking a deep breath, he shook his head and tried to focus on the task ahead.

Eren went from patio set to patio set, sitting down, looking through the colour options, feeling the material, and checking out how sturdily it was built. He absolutely loved shopping for furniture, but he wasn't sure this particular selection was what he wanted.

As he was laying in a lounger, a very pregnant Omega sales associate walked up to him and asked cheerfully, "Hi there, can I help you with anything?"

"Thank you," Eren said then glanced at her name tag, "Petra! I'm just looking though."

Petra sighed and sat down in a chair beside Eren. "Sorry... I just need to look like I’m working... My feet are killing me," she said with a laugh, stretching out her swollen feet in front of her.

Eren laughed with the woman as he sat up. "That's fine. How far along are you?" he asked with stars in his eyes, looking towards the massive baby bump.

"Eight months," she said happily, "But this is my third. My Alpha just won't let me rest." She giggled. Looking back towards the garden centre, Petra scented the air, then smiled, "Here comes your mate."

"My what?" Eren asked confusedly as Levi wheeled a cart full of garden supplies up beside them.

Levi looked between Eren and the heavily pregnant female Omega that was lounging next to him on the patio furniture. He smiled a little and gestured at the greenery he'd selected and the six bags of black cedar mulch. There were several Irises and a number of light green-yellow striped Hostas situated on the cart along with the mulch and the stain that Eren had picked out. Everything seemed to match together perfectly. "I think I found some pretty and low maintenance plants for the back garden. You still looking or you ready to go?" he asked, obviously not having heard the conversation that the two Omegas were having. He leaned on the cart lazily, hip cocked as he looked at the pair and smiled pleasantly.

"Nah, I'm good," Eren said, standing up and offering his hand to help Petra stand up.

"Well, aren't you just a sweetheart," she said, trying to struggle back to her feet. "I'm sure you'll be looking like me in a few months though," she said to Eren with a wink at Levi, patting her belly, "I always love seeing newlyweds shop together. You two have fun." With that, she waddled away while Eren stood with his mouth gaping open in shock, turning a dark shade of scarlet.

Levi chuckled while Eren blushed. "Newlyweds, huh?" he said cheekily, one dark brow raised, eyes glowing with humour, "Gotta say, that's a first. Should've read the fine print in the contract more carefully, I guess." His tone was good natured and joking. Sure, he wouldn't mind playing newlyweds between the Omega's sheets, but brats weren't on his agenda anytime in the near future, if at all, so it seemed only natural to laugh off the comment.

Eren immediately covered his face with his hands. "I cannot believe that just happened," he said, completely mortified. Levi laughed and started to walk away and Eren was quick to follow. "She got the wrong idea ‘cause you scent marked me!" he whined loudly, slapping Levi's arm as he walked beside him, still bright red.

Levi laughed again, "Better than other Alphas trying to play grab ass with you again though, isn't it? Besides, I didn't hear you complaining when I did it, _Omega_ ," he replied with a cocky wink over his shoulder, leading the way towards the check out where the lumber he'd ordered was waiting for them.

"Shut up," Eren whined. He crossed his arms and began to pout as they waited in line, but then he got an idea. Bringing his wrists up to his scent glands, he rubbed his hands furiously against his neck to soak up as much scent as possible then reached over to swipe it down Levi's neck and back, effectively scent marking the man himself. "There. Now we really **do** smell like newlyweds," he said smugly.

Levi growled and swatted the Omega's hands away from him playfully. "You little brat!" he groused, bumping Eren's hip with his own, failing at hiding his grin over Eren's boldness, finding the entire situation humourous and maybe just a little cute. The older lady behind the register stifled a chuckle behind one hand, watching the pair as they sidled up to the check out.

The Alpha looked at her and shook his head a little, "It's all on the Ackerman account and I need to add twelve slabs of the eight oh three patio stone and ten of the nine sixty one to be picked up later this week," he said, glancing back at Eren as the woman rang in his order.

Eren winked at the man with a smirk, leaning down against the cart with his back arched and his ass out as the lady rung them up. Several Alphas behind him were staring at Eren's body with lustful eyes, but kept their distance because he smelled like he was mated to Levi. Their combined scents permeated the air of the store sweetly as they mingled together. They really did seem like newlyweds.

Levi could feel the eyes on them and rested one pale hand on Eren's arched back again possessively as added deterrent for the Alphas eyeing the attractive Omega, guiding Eren to move away from the check out and to the large open warehouse doors once the woman at the register had handed him his business receipt. He pocketed it idly and looked at Eren, "You mind staying here with this stuff while I pull the truck up?" he asked, leaning closer so as to not be overheard by any of the nosy bystanders watching the two of them.

"Yeah sure, no problem," Eren said with a smile, leaning against the cart once again. As Levi turned around and started to walk out to the truck, Eren loudly called, "Don't be too long _sweetness_!" then finished with a loud whistle as the man sauntered away.

The Alpha chuckled and shook his head, raising one hand in lazy acknowledgment of the cheeky words, ignoring the heat that crawled up the back of his neck.

He ran his hand through his hair as he pulled the keys from his pocket, unlocking his truck and sliding inside, starting it up and not bothering with his seatbelt as he pulled around to back the truck bed up to the warehouse doors, leaving it idling with the windows already rolled down.

He got out and slipped around to unlock the back hatch, immediately starting to load the lumber in alongside the tools and chest of work essentials he kept there already, muscles moving sinuously beneath his skin and making the fabric of his t-shirt strain over his broad back as he moved. He glanced at the Omega before his gaze flickered over the lingering Alphas ogling Eren "I got this if you wanna wait in the truck," he said.

"I'm fine right here," Eren said with a smirk as his eyes trailed Levi's body. He cocked a hip as he watched Levi work, ignoring the ogling Alphas as he ogled Levi instead. That man knew how to wear a t-shirt Eren thought as he bit his lip, unashamed by his arousal as he watched.

Levi sighed, but didn't argue, fully aware of the Omega's appreciative gaze glued to him while he loaded the truck. He could smell the coconut vanilla rolling off Eren, clearly aroused by the free show he was receiving and his own scent rose in response, Alpha pride flaring up heatedly knowing he had the other male's undivided attention. He finished loading the lumber and moved on to the items on the cart Eren was leaning casually against, unable to keep himself from glancing at him regularly and brushing against him whenever he could.

Eren's heart soared every time the Alpha grazed him, but he stayed still as he watched Levi work. Eventually there was nothing left to load so Eren stood up straight, rolled the carts over to where they were supposed to be dropped off then hopped in the passenger seat of Levi's truck.

"That was fun," Eren said cheerfully to Levi who was already in the drivers seat. "I should take you shopping with me the next time I go. Who knows when I'll need a stand in Alpha again," he added cheekily, smelling that his scent mark was still on the man. It made his inner Omega want to squeal out in ecstasy.

Levi flashed him a roguish half smirk, "Carrying groceries costs extra since it's not part of the contract," he replied jokingly, tapping his fingers against the wheel as he stopped at a red light.

"How come you don't have an Alpha anyhow? You one of them picky, high standard types?"

Laughing, Eren replied, "I don't think so. I'm pretty easy going except when it comes to work." Eren was quiet for a few moments before he finally answered in full. "Most Alphas won't bond with a defective Omega," Eren said lightly with a shrug, staring out the passenger window to avoid Levi's gaze.

"Defective... What the fuck's that mean? You don't look defective to me," the Alpha said, side eyeing Eren though the brunette was obviously avoiding his gaze.

"Can't have kids. About a dozen different doctors have told me the same thing… A hundred percent infertile," Eren explained, still looking out the window. "I had an Alpha I was with since I had my first heat. He always wanted kids though... So when we found out, he broke it off. He's bonded with two beautiful babies now actually. It was hard to see which is part of the reason I moved here," Eren said, turning to look at Levi with a sad smile, "Fresh start."

Levi growled, "That's a shit reason to break up when you were together so long. S'not like it's your fault. I don't see what the big deal is anyway. No need to worry about little accidents that way. And if he wanted brats that bad, there's always adoption or that surrogate program they started up. My little sister works for them," he said idly, inexplicably irritated on Eren's behalf, sympathizing even though he had no desire to have kids of his own. If Eren were his Omega, he'd have had no issue with the news.

"It is what it is," Eren replied, patting Levi on the arm to calm the Alpha’s irritation that he could smell in the air, "Don't worry about it. I'm over it. Me and him never really were right for each other anyway. Like puzzle pieces that didn't quite fit. It's a deal breaker for a lot of Alphas lookin' to bond so yeah. That's why I don't have an Alpha."

"Hmph," Levi grunted, though his scent settled in response to Eren's words and soothing touch, "Suppose I should be grateful for that then. Free to hit on you all I like," he said in an attempt to lighten the mood, though he was only half joking.

"So... It doesn't bother you that I'm infertile?" Eren asked Levi, looking up at him through his long cinnamon lashes as he awaited an answer.

Levi snorted, "Not even a little. I've never been the bonding type. I saw what breaking a bond was like for my ma when things didn't work out with my dad. You don't gotta get bonded and have kids to be with someone," he said, shrugging one shoulder as if it was explanation enough. He had no desire to repeat his parents' mistakes. His mom was happily bonded now with another Alpha and had been for some years, even had his little sister, but recalling what things had been like when they'd first moved in with his uncle wasn't something he could easily forget. He had absolutely no inclination to put anyone else or himself through that kind of pain. It was better to keep things light and casual so when the time came to break up as it inevitably did, it wasn't nearly as devastating.

"You'll have no problem asking me out then," Eren said as his smile broadened, completely serious as he stared down the Alpha, daring him to reject the Omega after all the flirting they did today.

Levi flashed him another of those handsome roguish smiles, "Nope, no problem at all," he affirmed, though he didn't elaborate on just when he'd be asking the Omega out. The smile stayed curled on his mouth as his scent settled pleasantly in the cab, obviously pleased with the turn of events. He certainly had not expected his day to turn out so well considering the rough start to it. He backed into Eren's driveway and rolled the windows up before cutting the engine and pocketing his keys again.

"Hmm," Eren hummed, a little disappointed he hadn't been asked out already. Maybe Levi wasn't that interested? The Omega frowned as he exited the truck, heading towards his front door to unlock it. Before he went inside he said to Levi, "Want help unloading?"

"Nah, I'll be fine. Go relax, make yourself some lunch or something. I'll come see you when I go on break," Levi said with a charming smile and a wink as he unlatched the back hatch again and hefted a couple of two by fours onto his shoulder as if they weighed nothing.

"Kay," Eren said, rolling his eyes as the man showed off. He was so disappointed with Levi not asking him out immediately that he didn't feel like ogling him anymore either.

Retreating into the coolness of his house, he headed towards the kitchen and decided to make some BLT sandwiches and have some freshly brewed iced tea from the fridge. He washed the tomatoes and the lettuce and cut them up, preparing the sandwiches, then poured two glasses of the cold brew.

Eren didn't know if Levi would be hungry, but he decided to make him food anyway. He went to the French double doors to look out and see Levi busy laying things out and measuring. He opened the door to call out, "Hey, are you hungry?"

Levi looked up from where he was marking lumber to be cut, tucking the pencil behind his ear and giving Eren a slow once over as he stood in the doorway. He smiled, heat sparking in the silver of his eyes, "Starving," he replied in a low tone.

"I made sandwiches if you want ‘em," Eren replied, leaning against the door frame, missing the innuendo. "Iced tea too, you're probably thirsty."

The Alpha's smile broadened and softened as the innuendo apparently flew over the young man's head. He stood up, brushing his hands off on his coverall clad thighs. "I guess I can take a break," he said, gauging how much he'd gotten done since he'd started and stepping towards the Omega in the open doorway, "Lead the way boss."

Eren smiled at the man, and did indeed lead the way into his house, swaying his hips seductively as he sauntered down the hallway. Reaching the kitchen, he gestured to the plate of sandwiches set up for Levi on the island by the stools. "Hope BLTs are okay. If you want some fruit, I can cut some up as well," Eren said grabbing himself a sandwich, putting it on his own plate and taking a seat on the stool beside Levi's. His Omegan instincts were screaming to please the Alpha.

Levi straddled his stool, resting his boots on the rung at the bottom and reaching for a sandwich from the stack on the plate, "Nah this’s great. Just relax," he replied before taking a bite, a noise of appreciation rumbling in his chest. It was way better than the fast food he would have been having for lunch if Eren hadn't offered. He swallowed and licked his lips, "So are you free for dinner tomorrow night?"

Eren paused as he was about to take another bite of his sandwich and looked at Levi. "Maybe," he said with a cheeky smile, "Why do you ask?" He batted his eyelashes innocently, like he couldn't possibly know why Levi wanted to know.

Levi smirked, "Obviously so I know if you're available to go out with me, but if you're busy, some other time I guess," he replied teasingly, eyeing the Omega batting his lashes.

"No I'm not busy," Eren almost yelled, lifting his butt out of his seat as he back tracked. Calming down, he blushed and sat back down, looking away and uttering a quieter, "I'm free. We can go out... If you want."

"I wouldn't have asked if I didn't want to _Eren_ ," he practically purred, Alpha pride inflating at how quickly the other male agreed, stumbling over his response and blushing attractively. "I know a good place, I think you'll like it."

"I'd b-better," Eren stuttered, turning back with a burning face to look at Levi, pouting a little at the man's teasing. They were pretty close, since they were seated next to each other. Eren almost wanted to say they should go to the bedroom right now instead of waiting to go on a date tomorrow. The arousal in his scent increased tenfold as he blushed even more, having to drop Levi's gaze at his lewd thoughts.

The Alpha chuckled huskily, scenting the rising arousal rolling off of Eren. His own citrus sea salt scent rose in response and he shifted in his seat, suddenly acutely aware of his own arousal. He dug into the rest of his sandwich, only stopping to take a sip of his iced tea. Once he'd finished, he licked his lips again and looked at the Omega for a long moment before he shifted to brush a wayward lock of hair back behind Eren's ear. "You will, it's a promise."

"Kay," Eren said with a smile, nuzzling his head into Levi's hand. Standing up, he grabbed the empty plates and left them in the kitchen sink to be washed later. "Is it a fancy place?What should I wear," he asked looking over his shoulder at the man.

"Nothing fancy. Wear whatever you like. I'm sure you'll look great in whatever," he said with a grin, eyes tracking Eren as he moved.

"Damn straight," Eren said wiggling his hips enticingly with a laugh. Feeling daring he decided to voice his early desire and walked back over to the Alpha. "You know, I'm pretty tempted just to invite you to my bed right now..." he purred as he looked down on Levi where he sat and rested his hand on the man’s shoulder.

Levi turned on his stool, sliding his hands lightly up Eren's sides before trailing them back down to rest on the curve of attractively flared hips. "S'that so? I wouldn't mind, but my break's almost over. I wouldn't want to have to rush or anything," he murmured, looking up at Eren with smoldering mercury depths, half dilated and glowing with lust.

"That's too bad," Eren said, pouting his luscious bottom lip as he curled his arms over Levi's neck, "I'd rather take my time and... _Savour_ it." Leaning forward, his lips brushed the shell of the Alpha's ear as he said, "I guess I'll have to wait then. It's so hard since I've been smelling you all day. Your scent drives me **crazy**."

"Mmn," Levi hummed, tilting his head a little at the feel of Eren's lips against his ear, palms squeezing the lush hips firmly, "I know... You smell heavenly too sweetness, but it'll be worth the wait, trust me. I gotta make sure I do my job before I give into distraction, no matter how nice a distraction it is. Wanna make sure you get exactly what you want," he replied in a guttural, husky tone.

"I think you'll give me **exactly** what I want," Eren said then nibbled Levi's neck for a moment before he pulled back. "I guess I'll stop distracting you then... Since your break is over and all..." he said smugly, taking Levi's hands and removing them from his hips. He made sure to sway them as he left the kitchen and headed down the hall to his bedroom.

Levi growled and muttered under his breath as he stood up to adjust his erection, "Dirty rotten tease." He ran his tongue over his lips and his hands through his hair, cursing when he nearly dropped the pencil he'd completely forgotten was behind his other ear. He shook his head, trying to shake the desire to follow Eren to his bedroom instead of going back outside. He forced himself to go back down the hall and out into the warm, sunlit backyard and return to work.

He eventually managed to regain his concentration, contenting himself with the knowledge he would be taking the Omega out the following evening and may very well be coming back home with him after. He got the groundwork laid for the deck and the back fence and while the cement was setting around the posts, he dug up the back garden and planted the plants, foregoing laying the mulch until the rest of the privacy fence was up and stained. He was sweaty and dirty by the end of it, but it looked damn good. He could imagine what the path would look like sided by plush grass leading to the large garden against the fence, maybe a birdbath in the corner and a few eclectic decorations, a set of chimes; beautiful and entirely suiting the feeling he got from the Omega it would belong to.

~~~

When Eren had gone to his bedroom, he waited a bit to see if Levi would follow. When the man did not, Eren just shrugged and decided to take a nap. It'd been an eventful day.

Hours later Eren, woke up groggy and wondering if Levi was still outside. Getting up, he made his way to the back yard, not bothering to change out of his black spandex shorts and an over sized blue shirt that fell off one shoulder. "Oh wow, you’ve been productive," he said to the man who was turned away from him still working, "It looks amazing." Putting on some slip ons, he walked out into the yard, hugging himself as he looked at Levi's work with excitement.

The Alpha looked over his shoulder and offered his arm to the approaching Omega, slipping it around Eren when he was close enough and coaxing the young man closer so they would have the same view of the yard. He pointed to the back corner, "How do you feel about a stone birdbath just there, and the stone you picked out today will be laid straight back from here, leading to the garden. It'll look more full in the flowerbed once I lay the mulch, but that'll have to wait until after I finish the fence. Do you like it?" He asked, eyes alight with excitement. He obviously enjoyed his job and was unconsciously seeking the Omega's approval for the plans he'd made to make his yard perfect for him.

"Yes, I love it," Eren said, beaming as he leaned back into Levi's arms as he looked out into the yard. He savoured the Alpha’s gentle grip on his hips as he imagined what Levi described. "It'll be perfect. I'm really happy."

Levi smiled broadly and gave Eren a little squeeze. "Is there going to be enough shade back here for you? The big willow in your neighbour's yard seems to keep yours pretty shaded at least on the left side," he said, scanning over the yard again while he kept an unconscious hold on the Omega, incredibly pleased that Eren liked his ideas for the space.

"Mm..." Eren said, running his hands over Levi's on his hips, "I'm not sure. What would you suggest if there's not? I could always buy an umbrella or even a canopy. I also wanted to buy a day bed to nap out here when it's nice."

"The deck would be spacious enough for something like that, but in the yard, I could put lattice work overhead, maybe plant Morning Glories or something to add more shade," he hummed in thought, all the while kneading the Omega's hips absently with hands, his scent curling protectively up around Eren, warm and pleased. "I could string lights too in case you plan on spending any time outdoors at night, but I suppose it's up to you. I could put in a tree, but that would take some time to be large enough to provide good shade."

"Mm..." Eren hummed as he turned in Levi's grip to nose into the Alpha’s neck. "So many options... Lattice work sounds pretty though. And I would love lights to be in the backyard at night since I wanna get a hot tub," he said as he nuzzled into the soft skin behind Levi's ear. The Alpha was being so affectionate. Eren wanted to return the affection, delighted with the attention and the touches. "You're gonna cost me a fortune. Good thing you’re hot and amazing at what you do. Do you only do outdoor work?"

A sound of appreciation thrummed in the Alpha's chest as Eren nosed behind his ear and he tilted his head to give Eren as much access as he liked, his scent spiking intently. "Mmn, it won't be as expensive as you think. I know what materials can be bought cheaper and still be just as good in quality as the more expensive. I mostly do outdoor work, but I know how to do indoor reno as well," he murmured, rubbing his hands up and down Eren's sides with firm, but gentle pressure, "Why do you ask, already thinking of putting me to work inside too?"

"Well..." Eren said then kissed Levi's neck lightly, "I was going to get my basement redone as well. Hire a different contractor to do it. But I'm not sure I want any other Alpha’s in my home, but you after today..." Eren trailed his hands up Levi's torso then hooked them around the Alpha’s neck so that the Omega’s body was flush with Levi's. "But if you don't wanna, I'll have to find someone else. Any buddies who can do a good job?"

"Hm, and give up the chance to spend more time with you? I don't think so. If I'm going to be taking you out, there'd better not be any other Alphas in your house. I may not be the bonding type, but when you're with me, you're _only_ with me," Levi said, voice low, guttural and without room for argument. He didn't like to share. He slipped his fingers around Eren's lower back, framing his slim waist with his hands and squeezing firmly, fingertips massaging at the dimples to either side of the other male's tailbone.

"Pfft," Eren laughed leaning his head back to look at Levi. "They'd be _working,_ not screwing me! You don't wanna bond, but you’re already so possessive that I can't even talk to other Alphas?" Eren said with a grin and raised eyebrows with his green eyes blazing. He didn't like to be ordered around... But the way Levi did it was... Arousing.

"You can _talk_ to them. They just can't touch you and I'd prefer they aren't coming and going inside your house when I'm not around. I don't like to share. While you're mine, you're mine. If it's gonna be a problem, tell me now," the Alpha said seriously, silver eyes burning intently into the vibrant emerald of the Omega still against him, his scent rising up possessive and dominant, intent and wanting.

Eren sighed then nuzzled affectionately into Levi's cheek. "No problem, _Alpha_. I'm **yours**... For now anyway." Eren leaned back again to scrutinize Levi's grey eyes. "You realize that I **do** wanna get bonded one day right?"

Levi lowered his lashes and met Eren's gaze unwaveringly. "I had some idea that's what you wanted. Like I said, we don't have to be bonded to be together and you're free to decide to end things whenever you like, no hard feelings. No reason we can't have some fun while it lasts though, right? I'll be your stand in Alpha," he replied honestly, unconcerned by the prospect of eventually, inevitably giving the Omega up. He was used to it. Every Omega he'd ever been with had eventually wanted more than he could give and he'd cut and run to spare them further disappointment. He'd never invested himself as much as they always seemed to. They'd all said they understood at the beginning; things always changed for them, but he didn't. He was always the same, untouchable and unbondable, his heart heavily guarded and safe. He'd liked them all well enough, took them out, played the part of temporary Alpha, cuddled, kissed and fucked, but he didn't move in and they didn't leave a toothbrush at his place; he didn't buy them jewelry or make promises he didn't intend to keep.

Eren was the first he'd had such an immediate and strong desire for, but that didn't mean he was about to change his mind about bonding and Eren was different from others he'd had in the past; Eren had a hard time finding a suitable Alpha given his condition. Levi could be a distraction, a bed warmer and comforter when the Omega was lonely, but just until he found that Alpha that would be willing to give him everything he wanted. So long as he cut Levi loose before he moved onto that Alpha, the raven didn't have any issue.

Eren thought to himself for a moment. That sounded like a pretty good arrangement. It's not like he was looking to bond right away anyway. He deserved to have some fun in a relationship that had no pressure.

"Alright... Yeah I can do that," Eren said with a grin, "It'll be nice to not worry whether we will be together forever and just fuck all the time. ‘Cause I do really really want you to fuck me. No strings is fine by me." Grabbing Levi's hands, he put them on his spandex clad ass and whispered in the Alpha’s ear, "You're gonna miss this ass when we break up though."

Levi chuckled and groped the Omega's firm rear shamelessly, "Mm, you're probably right about that. I'll just have to make sure I make lots of good memories with it to soothe my loneliness in the future," he said with a grin, using his grip to draw Eren flush against him again, his scent stronger, clinging to his skin from having sweat in the sun for the passed few hours and renewed with sharpness because of his proximity to the willing and wanting Omega. He kneaded the soft firmness with his hands appreciatively, pressing his crotch against Eren's, half hard cock throbbing in the confines of his coveralls and he pressed his face into the side of Eren's neck, inhaling deeply. "I think I'll miss your scent more though sweetness."

Eren whined loudly, baring his neck completely so that the Alpha had full access to his neck. It was the most submissive pose an Omega could do to show their want of a partner other than presenting. Eren wanted Levi more than he had ever wanted anyone. The Omega’s scent immediately filled the air around them, thick and sweet, filled with desperation and arousal.

Levi growled, the sound deep and animalistic and he mouthed at Eren's bared throat, responding to the Omega's submission without conscious thought, the need to taste his skin entirely tied to instinct. The Omega wanted him... **Bad** and fuck if Levi didn't want him too. The pull to Eren was nothing short of **powerful** and Levi massaged the Omega's scent gland with his tongue to coax more of those sweet oils from him so he could coat his mouth with the honey sweet coconut vanilla flavour. He couldn't help it; he _had_ to. But somewhere in the back of his mind, a red flag was sparking, an alarming reminder; he had something important that he had to do.

He hadn't been able to stop in at home before coming to Eren's house earlier in the afternoon because he'd been bailing water out of Issy's basement with her mate Farlan since five in the fucking morning. Fuck sibling responsibility! It meant he had not been home to put Phoenix out since a quarter to five. And he knew that the hundred pound Red Alaskan Malamute that he shared his flat with would not go on the floor; he'd already been waiting for _hours._ And the Alpha felt guilty. He loved the stupid dog; Phoenix was his best buddy. He couldn’t just leave him hanging. Yeah, yeah, lame, but fuck if it wasn't the truth.

He groaned and reluctantly forced himself to pull away from Eren. "Fuck I want to sweetness, but I can't stay tonight," he growled huskily, closing his eyes and turning his face away from the submissive display of slick, sweet caramel skin of the Omega's throat and he removed one hand from Eren's backside to tangle in his own hair, clearly fighting with himself.

Eren tilted his head back, anger flaring in his green eyes when they finally opened. He gripped Levi's white t-shirt to pull the man forward and opened his mouth to bite down on the man's scent gland, hard. It would probably leave a dark black bruise on Levi's pale skin, but Eren was careful to not draw blood. "If you ever tease me like this again, Alpha, I'll destroy you. You better be the best god damn lay I've ever had," he said into Levi's ear through gritted teeth before he pushed Levi away from him roughly.

Eren pulled his oversized blue shirt down to hide the bulge in his black spandex shorts, then stormed off into the house, probably to go take care of it.

Levi gritted his teeth, jaw twitching with tension and he lingered in the yard for several long seconds after Eren stormed off. He growled, "Fuck..." He cursed and carded his fingers roughly through his hair as he whirled on his heel and left through the side gate; there was no way he could go in through the house and still leave.

He'd make it up to him, he would. He was so distracted as he drove home, he didn't even realize he had a hand cupped to his throat where the mark Eren had left stung and throbbed, an angry reminder of what he'd just walked away from.


	3. Tending Secret Gardens

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ehhhhhhhh
> 
> Here's another chapter, hope you guys enjoy! The Wilds will be updated tomorrow and Luck of the Irish will be updated Sunday.

When Levi got home, he immediately let Phoenix out, apologizing, but also telling his dog that he'd better appreciate the sacrifices Levi made for him. The malamute just tilted his head at Levi while he cocked a leg and the Alpha only grumbled and shook his head. He patted the large dog's head when Phoenix came to his side and bumped against his thigh. Sighing, Levi went to shower, trying not to think about the dull ache between his legs and the memory of coconut sweetened skin and fierce forest eyes.

He went to bed in a terrible mood and woke in a worse one when his beloved dog shoved him off the bed at a quarter to six. Ungrateful, spoiled prick; Levi could have used that extra fifteen minutes of sleep. He showered and shaved before he got dressed for the day in a near identical outfit from the day before though his tee was black and V-necked and his coveralls were dull cerulean blue and black. He heaved a sigh as he slid into his truck after packing several tools he'd be needing for work that day and started it up before leaving his flat to make his way to Eren's.

Eren got up early like he normally did, but today he was in a foul mood after a night left sexually frustrated. Of course he’d jerked it, more than once in fact, but it wasn't good enough. He needed Levi's hands on him and the Alpha’s dick in him. If Eren didn't get what he wanted tonight, he thought he might go crazy.

This morning, he did his normal morning ritual; drank coffee, brushed his teeth, and started his daily yoga routine. The only difference was his choice of outfit. For his exercise, he’d found the tightest pair of spandex shorts he owned along with a tank top that rode up when he stretched. He also set his mat up right in front of the French double doors to the backyard with the windows and blinds open. Eren was going to make Levi pay for leaving him hanging last night. The man would be smelling him in the yard all day while he worked. Hopefully it was torture.

Already sweaty from a number of difficult poses, Eren heard a truck pull into his driveway and a knock on his front door, way earlier than he had expected. Slick with the sweet coconut smell of his sweat, Eren sauntered to the front door to greet Levi for the day.

"Good morning," he said breathily with a giant smile to Levi when he opened the door for the man.

Levi's hand hung in the air, still poised to knock again as his gaze crawled greedily over Eren. "Is this my punishment for last night?" He asked hoarsely, licking his lips unconsciously, a rush of heat flowing beneath his skin and with it, the return of the aching throb in the pit of his stomach and between his thighs. The onset of his scent was immediate, potent and sharp in the air. He wanted to touch Eren desperately, to taste him again, to lap up the sweat clinging to golden skin so deliciously. Thank God he'd arrived early for work. He'd have to thank Phoenix later for being a good wing man as an apology for cock-blocking him the day before.

"Mayyyybbbeee," Eren replied in a sing song voice, before he grabbed the hem of his shirt to wipe the sweat off his face, revealing the tanned skin of his toned stomach. He put his shirt down then leaned on the doorframe and smiled brightly at the Alpha. "Is it working?"

Levi hummed, eyes following the movement of Eren's shirt and before he could resist, he had his hands on those hips, thumbs caressing over hipbones peeking from beneath the waistband of sinfully tight spandex shorts. "Let me make it up to you?" He pleaded, stepping up into Eren's space, coaxing him back inside the house.

"W-well," Eren stuttered, not expecting Levi to want him the moment he showed up. Not to say he wasn't delighted by the turn of events. "You said I can't distract you from work though," he said, although he stepped backwards into the house and pulled Levi in with him.

"I'm not on the clock 'til eight. Plenty of time to apologize until you forgive me," the Alpha murmured as the door clicked shut behind him and he pulled Eren flush against him, scenting him heavily, unable to quell the urge, nosing along Eren's collarbone to his neck.

"I-I'm all sweaty t-though... Hah... Levi," Eren whined, getting lost in the Alpha’s touch as he began to drag him towards the bedroom. He rolled his hips against Levi as he bared his throat to the man a second time. "So mad at you last night... S-Should make you work h-harder for i-it," he said half heartedly.

Levi mouthed against the Omega's scent gland, teeth nipping, "You could, but it'll be as painful for you as it is for me sweetness," he murmured breathily, running hands up and down Eren's sides.

"Ugh fine..." Eren said almost angrily, "You win. C'mon then." He pulled himself out of Levi's arms and practically dragged the Alpha the rest of the way to his bedroom and threw the man in.

Eren's master bedroom was a large, ocean-themed room with dark grey walls and a tv hanging across from the bed. He had a beige, king-sized bed frame with a navy blue comforter and about twelve pillows piled neatly on top. Eren's room probably smelled more like him than the rest of the house, the coconut vanilla surrounding the two as Eren closed the door behind them.

The Alpha refused to break contact with Eren, drawing him in against him again as soon as Eren had thrust him into his bedroom where his scent was so strong, Levi could feel precum dampening his boxer briefs eagerly in response. He had one hand on Eren's hip, fingertips curling into the plush firmness of the Omega's ass and his other hand slid up to tangle in the sweat damp chestnut strands of Eren's hair. His own scent quickly filled the space, overlaying the sweet coconut vanilla, embracing it and wrapping itself around it protectively, **intimately.**

He guided Eren's head down and to the side so that he could press his lips against Eren's, open-mouthed to better taste the sweetness of the Omega. He made a low humming sound of appreciation, pulling back enough to murmur heatedly against the soft bowed lips already bruised from his kiss, "I'm gonna take such good care of you Omega, just let me spoil you,” before recapturing his lips.

Eren felt himself slick the moment Levi's lips met his once again, the smell of it rising in the room and dampening his shorts. It surprised the Omega as he furiously kissed Levi back with enthusiasm. Usually, most Omegas would only produce slick during a heat or with a very compatible partner. Eren himself had never produced slick outside of a heat. "Yes... P-please Alpha I want you so bad, it hurts," Eren breathed against Levi's lips, trying to nudge the man towards the bed as he tugged on the Alpha's t-shirt.

Levi let Eren tug his shirt off of him and his coveralls drooped low on his hips, revealing the expanse of his muscled torso, sinewy and firm, and full of power all covered in smooth porcelain skin that was softer than any man’s in his profession had a right to be. He stepped backwards until he was close enough to the bed to turn Eren towards it and press him back onto it, crawling over him, hands running over his sides and under his shirt to caress and grope supple flesh possessively. He kissed him again, dominating Eren's mouth and swallowing his whines. He could smell the slick.

He wasn't unaccustomed to his partners slicking a bit for him once he got them aroused enough, but Eren was by far the most potent he'd ever experienced with the least amount of effort; it was entirely natural. His pupils dilated rapidly, nearly swallowing the mercury irises, leaving only the tiniest ring of silver around them, lids drooping half closed and his head and body buzzed with it as if he could feel Eren's scent settling and soaking into him. It was fucking fantastic. Levi was addicted. He dipped his thumbs into the waistband of Eren's shorts, tugging at them roughly, desperate to feel more of his skin and the instinct to seek out the source of the intoxicating aroma nearly overwhelmed him.

Eren broke the kiss to gasp for air, breathless from Levi dominating his mouth. Feeling the man tug at his shorts, the Omega reached down to the rip the tight shorts down, revealing that he was wearing no underwear underneath as his leaking cock sprang free. Lifting his hips, he shimmied the shorts off of his body then sat up to tear off his shirt and throw it on the ground. His instincts were screaming to be bare before his Alpha so he lay naked under the man, squirming with arousal as Levi's intense gaze trailed up and down the tanned skin of his body.

"Mmn, you're such a pretty thing sweetness," the Alpha purred roughly while looking over the other male's bared body, sliding his hands over Eren's chest, thumbing peaked nipples teasingly before trailing lower along the Omega's sides and groping at his hips and thighs.

After several long seconds, he slid further down the bed, maneuvering Eren's legs to rest on his broad shoulders and he pressed kisses to his inner thigh, a sweet precursor for what was to come, while strong hands kneaded plush hips firmly.

"Ah," Eren cried out and his back arched as Levi teased his nipples. When the man threw his legs over his shoulders, Eren looked up at him in question. "Levi... Hah... What are you..." he asked, but his voice trailed off as the Alpha teased him with light kisses.

Levi made heated eye contact with the Omega as he trailed a winding path with his tongue in place of the kisses and paused to suck dark marks into the plump flesh, humming his enthusiastic approval at the heightened scent and taste of Eren. His hands smoothed up and down Eren's outer thighs as the limbs shook ever so subtly against his shoulders before he was sliding them beneath Eren's backside to tilt his hips as he liked. His tongue caressed down to the crease where hip met thigh and Levi detoured passed the straining erection to first nibble at an enticing hipbone. He waited until just the breathiest beginnings of a whine were hanging on Eren's lips before he finally lapped a thick trail up the Omega's pretty blushing cock.

"Fuck," Eren cried, head falling back as his hips stuttered in the air. He was panting as his fingers gripped the comforter underneath him, balling into fists as he tugged on the fabric. "L-Levi," he moaned when he looked up and caught the man's eye.

Levi pulled away from Eren's dick to lick his lips and smirk at the sound of his name from the Omega's lips thick with arousal. "S'good... You taste so good Eren," he murmured gutturally, breath stirring against the Omega’s glistening shaft and Levi teased his tongue along the underside until he got to the base and traced over the soft, warm sac there before exploring further. His hands shifted beneath Eren, rocking the Omega's hips upwards while he used his thumbs to spread the slicked cheeks of his ass. He paused again so that he could stare at the slippery little hole, entranced by the wetness gathered there. He inhaled sharply and practically dove down to press his tongue flat against the little entrance, greedily lapping up the fresh slick Eren was producing.

" _Oh my god_ ," Eren moaned loudly, reaching down with his hands to thread his fingers tightly through Levi's hair. The Alpha continued to lap at his sensitive entrance, making Eren whine and squirm in his grip as his hole spasmed. It felt like electricity was flowing through Eren's veins and he swore what he was feeling was even more intense than what he felt during a heat.

When Levi's tongue dipped into his entrance, exploring Eren deeper and deeper, the Omega screamed out in ecstasy. That was enough; he needed the Alpha **now**. Pulling his legs off Levi's shoulders, he flipped onto his belly then lifted his ass in the air, presenting perfectly for his Alpha. "Please... Please take me... I'm yours... I need you **Alpha** ," Eren begged with his head in the mattress, his tight little hole still spasming as it leaked a steady stream of slick down his leg as he wiggled his hips enticingly.

He swore he hadn't intended to take Eren yet. He was only going to make him cum hard and let him rest after, but this... Levi didn't have the restraint and he was fairly certain Eren would be angry if he refused to follow through again. He licked his lips and swallowed, the taste of the Omega's sweetness lingering in his mouth. Sitting up on his knees, he growled and palmed the other male's hips, kneading them firmly a moment before he was pressing his coveralls further down his own hips, dragging his underwear along with them, just far enough down his thighs to release his thick, aching cock from the confines.

He leaned over Eren's arched back, running one hand up and then back down his spine to rest on the smooth dip at the base, steadying the Omega while he guided his cock between the slippery cheeks of Eren's slick drenched rear. He groaned lowly, panting harshly as he rutted against him in slow rhythmic and torturous motions. "This what you want **Omega?** You're so ready for me," he breathed hoarsely, stilling to maneuver the blunted head to the slick and twitching hole, sinking into the tight heat achingly bit by bit, sure Eren was slick and soft enough to be able to take him without further preparation so long as he went slow, refusing to cause any unnecessary discomfort to the Omega. 

Levi had always liked spoiling his lovers, generous and considerate because it was so much better when they were begging for it again and again; he didn't know how any Alpha could resist or refuse, but he knew they often did. He had a feeling that Eren was an Omega that hadn't had too many generous lovers in the past and he wanted to rectify that. Levi wanted to unravel the Omega in a way that was as intense and passionate as being in heat would be, but without the inability to refuse him. Eren could always back out, had a choice and he was choosing to invite Levi inside him, wanted to have him there so desperately that his body prepared for it on it's own. That was something not to be taken lightly or for granted.

"Yes," Eren hissed in reply, almost unable to speak as Levi began push inside. Eren arched his back further and moaned as the intrusion went deeper and deeper. Even without further preparation, it didn't hurt; Eren was completely ready for his Alpha, sucking the man into his tight heat. Agonizingly slow, Levi pushed deeper and deeper into Eren until his hips were flush with the Omega’s who was panting and whining.

The man stilled a moment now that he was fully in, waiting for Eren to say he was okay to move. He ran his hands soothingly up and down Eren's back, and Eren purred in contentment, the feeling of being full and adored by his lover making him dizzy with happiness and arousal. "Y-You can move... F-Feels so good Levi... Please move. Please fuck me," he babbled almost incoherently, begging the Alpha to take him in the most carnal way.

Pale fingers gripped at Eren's hips roughly, hard enough to leave marks as he drew his hips back slowly, gauging the resistance as he moved. Judging the Omega's body to be completely prepared to accommodate him and with Eren's begging as assurance, he snapped his hips forward, groaning ferally and panting as he began to buck repeatedly into the slick tightness. He bowed over the young man's back, trailing open mouthed kisses along his spine and lapping up his sweet sweat greedily. "Perfect... It's so good Omega... So good," he panted against damp kiss marked flesh, shamelessly showering Eren with praise.

"F-Fuck..." Eren cried as Levi continuously snapped into him. He braced himself against the bed trying not to fall over as Levi's strong hips slapped against him over and over. "S'good... Fuck me, fuck me," Eren moaned as he drooled into the mattress, lost in the pleasure of being deeply taken.

Levi's lips curled into a self satisfied smirk, knowing Eren was coming undone beneath him. He angled his hips, shifting slightly so that his thrusts drove his cock right up against the Omega's prostate again and again. One of his hands slid beneath Eren's hips to fist his weeping cock and stroked in time with his rocking motions, his other hand still gripping the Omega's hip and guiding him back into his brutal thrusts.

Eren screamed out as white spots dotted his eyes when Levi began his brutal assault on Eren's prostate. It didn't take long after Levi began fisting his cock that Eren came with a shout. Levi milked him for every drop, not pausing his thrusts as Eren's hole clamped down and fluttered against him.

The Alpha grunted and breathed harshly, sweating with exertion and shuddering every time Eren's body rippled and clenched on his cock. He could feel a vaguely familiar pressure at the base of his erection and groaned. "S-Shit Eren..." He said in warning, the swelling knot bumping against the Omega's already stretched little hole. He hadn't produced a knot for quite some time. Like Omegas producing slick outside of heat, to get a knot without the Omega being in heat was also rare, especially the more mature the Alpha got. Levi couldn't be certain, but the last time he could recall getting a proper knot was likely his senior year in high school which had been some time ago. His fingers spasmed against Eren's hips, his thrusts becoming erratic and more desperate as his knot inflated and instinct pestered him insistently to force it into the sheath of the Omega's body accompanied by a wholly new and viciously ferocious desire to mark and claim the Omega right the fuck now. He'd certainly never experienced it in such intensity that he almost did it, contenting himself with sucking more marks across the honeyed skin of Eren's shoulders instead of pressing his teeth into the side of his throat. It was fierce and fiery, white hot and itching in his gut, begging and so fucking close. And it was fucking fantastic and he'd never wanted to stuff an Omega full of his cum so badly in his whole life. It was even better because there was no fear of accidents with Eren. If the Omega let him, Levi could give into the instinct to knot him. He couldn't help, but grind his knot against still fluttering entrance at the thought.

"Knot me," Eren said desperately, wiggling his hips in an attempt to entice the Alpha in. He'd never been knotted outside a heat and he wanted Levi inside him and to feel the man orgasm. It was a primal need that his body was begging for, even though he was unable to have children.

Levi would have kissed him if he could have reached Eren's lips. Instead, he dropped his head against the Omega's shoulder and holding his hips in a vice grip, his hips jerked back and then slammed forward, forcing his knot through the tight ring of muscle, a feral groan rumbling in his chest as his body went taut, knot flaring further once buried inside of Eren and it was **explosive.** Shivers ran through him, heated bursts of prismed lights shifting on the backs of his closed eyelids and his heart hammering a deafening percussion solo in his chest as he filled Eren with thick hot seed repeatedly, cock pulsing and twitching while he ground himself into the Omega unconsciously, kneading at his hips and trying to remember how to breathe. Fuck, if every time was like this with Eren, he might have to start waking up early every morning.

"Mm," Eren hummed contently as he felt Levi fill him up with seed. The man's cock was twitching on his sensitive prostate, giving the Omega aftershocks of ecstasy. Eren started to purr from his chest, his Omegan instincts taking over, calling out to his Alpha. "I've never slicked or been knotted outside a heat before," Eren said dazedly, turning his head to look back at the man as his legs shook from their combined weight, "Is it just you? Are you a sex God or somethin’? You're definitely forgiven."

A low rumbling thrum sounded from within Levi's chest in response to the Omega's purring and he inhaled a deep breath before he pulled himself upright again. He carefully maneuvered the both of them onto their sides so that they would be more comfortable, managing to kick off his work boots, coveralls and underwear before he settled and draped his arm possessively over Eren's side, fingertips drawing unconscious and senseless patterns over the Omega's flat belly. "Mm, dunno, call it good chemistry or something. I've never knotted anyone before. It's intense," the Alpha answered in a deep husky tone, feeling profoundly satisfied and content to relax with his Omega while they waited for his knot to go down. "Mm, I think I might be late for work boss," he hummed, pressing his mouth to the back of Eren's neck, nose tucked into the soft, sweet scented strands of hair curling along the Omega's nape.

Eren laughed, wiggling his body back into the heat of his Alpha. "If I had my way, you'd stay in this bed all day with me," Eren said honestly, not caring about the work that had to be done outside at the moment. Eren sighed, turning his head to kiss Levi on the side of the mouth. "I think that's the best sex I've ever had, including heat sex. You weren't joking when you said you'd make it up to me."

"Mm, I hadn't intended to take it so far, but there was no way I could resist you. You smell so fucking good and you were in such a beautiful pose. And I don't know why it was so intense. High physical compatibility or some shit, I guess. You're incredible, you know that. Now I wanna take you out twice as badly," he said, still speaking in soft tones, lips moving against Eren's skin, pressing kisses between words, still blissed out and with no desire to rush off anywhere even if he'd been able.

"You're not so bad yourself," Eren said teasingly, running his hand over Levi's on his stomach. "Is it bad I don't wanna go out anymore and just wanna stay in my room and screw?"

The Alpha wet his lips, tongue tip ghosting across Eren's skin ever so lightly, "I wouldn't say bad, but probably impossible to accomplish," he said, smiling.

"We could _try_ ," Eren whined then started to laugh. When he calmed his chuckles, he drew patterns on the pale skin of Levi's arm. "You know how long we'll be tied together? I usually don't remember when I'm in heat."

Levi rubbed his cheek against Eren's shoulder in an affectionate gesture that was entirely unconscious. "Hm, dunno for sure. The last time I had a knot I think it was like close to an hour, but I can't say considering nothing about sex with you was my usual," he replied quietly, humming contentedly and still lightly massaging his fingertips over Eren's belly, not even aware of what exactly he was doing.

"Mm," Eren said tiredly as he yawned. "It okay if I have a nap then? We won't be moving for a while." His eyes drooped as he waited for an answer, half asleep already.

"Go for it. I got you," the Alpha affirmed, tangling his legs with Eren's and cuddling him, not bothering to even argue with the instinctive desire to do so. A low humming croon sounded within his chest, assisting in lulling the Omega to sleep and making him feel safe though there was no real necessity. For whatever reason, he had the urge to make sure the Omega felt completely secure while he was tied to him. It was odd, but he could hardly be bothered by it since they both seemed content at the moment.

Eren fell into a deep happy sleep; feeling completely protected by the Alpha that held him.

A little while later, Levi nudged the Omega awake, and Eren felt the man's knot slip out of him making him shiver at the loss. "How long was I out?" Eren asked groggily, rubbing his eyes and sitting up, giving Levi a sleepy smile as the man moved to get out of bed.

The Alpha stretched, rolling his head on his shoulders as he slipped out of Eren's bed, "Mm, maybe just over an hour," he answered as he bent to retrieve his clothing from the floor. He shook out the articles, pulling his shirt back on over his head and shimmying into his coveralls, not bothering to put his precum soiled underwear back on before he seated himself on the edge of the bed and reached to brush his knuckles along the Omega's cheek. "If you're still tired, sleep; I gotta actually do some work in the yard, but I'll come wake you for lunch if you want," he said quietly, silver gaze warm with continued interest and genuine affection as he ran it over the supple skin now mottled with a multitude of marks from the Alpha's mouth and hands. The display was entirely pleasing.

Eren sat up, stretching his limbs, feeling a satisfying soreness he hadn't experienced in a while. "I'm gonna have a bath I think," he said, scooting to the edge of the bed to stand up on wobbly legs and started to make his way to his ensuite bath, "I'm all sweaty and cum filled. I'll nap after though. Damn I can't even walk straight. Good job." He stumbled his way to the bathroom, feeling slick and cum slide down his legs. He turned on the taps to his large claw footed tub big enough for two people and called out the door, "If you wanna shower before you work, there's one down the hall by the living room."

Levi hummed his affirmation and stood up to leave the room, ignoring the desire to follow the Omega into that bathroom, especially seeing thin rivulets of mingled cum and Omega slick trekking sluggishly down Eren's inner thighs. It was a damn fine sight and it made him ache to refill him again.

The Alpha ran a hand through his hair, heaving a sigh and forcing his feet to move, his boots dangling in his hand. When he reached the back door he slipped them on and went out into the yard, surveying the set cement and making sure it was properly hardened before he went out to his truck to retrieve his radio from the back seat and the saw to cut the two by fours for the fence. He didn't bother with the shower, unashamed to smell like his and Eren's sex and there was no point in bathing when he was only going to be sweating again soon. He could shower and change at home before he took the Omega out to eat.

Sitting gingerly in the tub, Eren listened to Levi's music drifting in through the window from outside and hummed along; not remembering feeling this happy in a long time as he washed his body. Every so often, he would squeal quietly and kick his feet, splashing water onto the floor to let out his excitement when it overwhelmed him. He was in the tub for a long time, long enough for the water to grow cold before he got out, feeling relaxed and perfectly clean.

Throwing on his bathrobe, he walked out into his bedroom to the smell of sex. He opened a few windows to let the smell out then gathered up all of his sheets to throw in the wash which was in the hallway across from his room. In moments like these, he was glad he’d bought a house that was laid out on one floor.

Eren changed the bed sheets to bright sky blue and white, collapsing into the newly made bed and sighing with joy. He threw off his robe and crawled under the covers naked, wondering if Levi would join him again on his break as he fell asleep once more.


	4. Late Lunch Breaks

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> New chapter of The Wilds will be updated tomorrow and Luck of the Irish will be updated Sunday!

A few hours passed quickly, Levi falling into the familiar routine of working, mouthing the words to songs that he knew. He measured and cut wood, assembled the back and side fence and put on the first coat of stain before beginning the process of measuring the layout for the wrap around deck and cutting some of the wood for it as well. He would need to order more lumber when he picked up the stone later in the week to finish the railing and extended steps and he’d have to take a look at lattice work, but he didn't have to rush as he had to get the bottom built first and he could stain it before he added the railing later. He had just finished the second coat of stain on the back fence when he caught the time on the radio and stretched, setting the stain brush in the turpentine and closing the can of stain up. Levi sauntered inside Eren's home to wash his hands before he looked through Eren's stock of available foodstuffs, figuring the Omega wouldn't mind waking up to lunch.

The Alpha settled for grilled ham and swiss sandwiches on rye with carrots and celery with ranch on the side, simple but tasty and appropriate for the warm weather. He set the plated food onto the counter, tidying his mess quickly before he went to wake the Omega. He lingered in the doorway to Eren's room, watching the steady rhythmic rise and fall of the Omega’s naked chest, the bedding riding low on Eren's hips as he slept peacefully. He really was quite beautiful; Levi could hardly believe that an Alpha wouldn't want to call Eren theirs just because he couldn't have a brood of brats for them. He snorted softly and shook his head. Whatever, he'd treat the Omega like royalty while he had him.

He stepped over to the bed and leaned over the sleeping Omega, supporting himself on his palms as he hovered over Eren and pressed a slow, teasing trail of ticklish kisses from his temple, over his cheek to his jaw and along his neck, collarbone, chest, side, all the way to his hip, nipping lightly and backing off only when Eren began to stir. "Time to open those pretty eyes sweetness," he cooed softly, watching Eren's eyelids flutter from his position hovering over him, an endeared smile tugging at his mouth.

"Mm," Eren hummed sleepily looking up at Levi through drowsy eyes, "G'mornin." He reached up to kiss Levi sweetly on the mouth then tried to pull the man into bed with him saying, "You smell so good. Round two?"

Levi chuckled and nipped the corner of Eren's lips. "Mm, lunch first sweetness. I'm not gonna be able to finish the fence if I let you lure me back into bed with you," he said, brushing calloused fingertips over a soft cheek, thumbing beneath the Omega's plump bottom lip and leaning in to kiss him again.

"You hungry? I bet since you've been working all morning while I've been sleeping. Watcha want me to make," Eren asked, sitting up on one elbow and rubbing his eyes with his free hand. He sat up fully and got out of bed, completely naked as he walked to his dresser and pulled out a shirt, some underwear and some sweats. 

The Alpha followed Eren, wrapping his arms around the Omega's waist from behind and leaning his chin on his shoulder once he'd pulled on his clothing. "You don't need to make anything. I hope you don't mind, I made something for us," he murmured, turning to nose against the side of Eren's neck, scenting the Omega without much thought.

Eren raised his eyes and looked over his shoulder at the Alpha. "Huh... I don't think I've had a boyfriend make me food before," Eren replied absently. He turned in Levi's grip to beam at the man affectionately. "Thanks for cooking for me. You didn't have to," he said, giving him a big smooch.

Levi chuckled and gave the eager Omega a squeeze, "You haven't been seeing the right kind of Alphas then," he said simply, brushing off the gratitude, though he felt the back of his neck burn. He ducked his head to press a row of warm, damp kisses along the base of the Omega's neck.   
"When we go out tonight, do you want to simply come with me once I'm done for the day or would you prefer I come back to pick you up after I go change at home?" he asked as he regretfully pulled away from the captivating smell of Eren’s neck.

"It'd be easier if I just came with you. Plus I'd love to see your place, if you don’t mind," Eren said meeting Levi’s gaze with a smile.

"I don't mind. You aren't allergic to dogs are you?"

At the mention of dogs, Eren perked up tenfold. "No I'm not. I love dogs. I used to volunteer at the shelter back home every weekend. Do you have a dog? What kind? How old is it? Do you have pictures? What's it's name? I love dogs so so much," Eren started to ramble as he bounced in Levi's arms.

"I do have a dog. He's the reason I couldn't stay last night and the reason I was early this morning. He's a three and a half year old Red Alaskan Malamute named Phoenix. He's the best wingman and the worst cock block all wrapped into one massive ball of fluff, but he's my buddy. I'm glad you like dogs. I had a girlfriend the first year I had him that was allergic and wanted me to get rid of him. That there is a definite deal breaker," he answered Eren's excited rambling, giving him another firm squeeze before releasing him then tugging him out of the room by the hand lazily, smiling at the brunette over his shoulder.

Eren scowled. "Fuck that noise. Dogs are family. You don't get rid of family," he said angrily as Levi led him to the kitchen. Levi sat him down at the island and set a plate of sandwiches and vegetables in front of him. "'Mmmmm," Eren hummed, staring at the food hungrily, "This looks fucking delicious." He took a bite and groaned sexually as he savoured the taste. "It **is** fucking delicious. But back to your dog, is he okay with strangers? I don't want to scare him. If he's a malamute then he's definitely fuzzy. I wanna cuddle him already and give him love."

Levi straddled the stool next to Eren's much the same as he had the day before, taking a bite of his sandwich and eyeing the Omega while he chewed. The Alpa answered Eren’s question once he'd swallowed, a grin on his lips in response to the appreciative and lewd sounds Eren was making while eating the meal Levi had prepared for him. "Phoenix is a complete suck. He'll be all over you since you smell like me. I'm fairly certain he understands what that means," he assured before digging into his lunch again with a hum, happy to sate the grumbling of his belly.

Eren bounced in his seat after he finished off his sandwich and dipped a couple carrots in the dressing. "I can't wait to meet the fluffer. Guess I'll be covered in dog hair for our date ‘cause there's no way I'm not cuddling him," Eren said happily before taking a bite of a carrot.

"S'alright, I have lint rollers at home and I told you, the place I'm taking you isn't anything fancy," the Alpha said, finishing off his own sandwich in a couple of bites before he too moved on to devour the veggies and dressing, and soon enough the plate was empty. He took it and washed it in the sink, leaving it in the drying rack with the others he'd used to prepare lunch for the two of them, not bothering to put it in the dishwasher and not minding washing it by hand, taking Eren's as well once the Omega had finished.

"S'pose I should get back to work," he said as he lingered a foot or two from Eren, obviously not in any particular rush to leave the brunette.

Eren immediately stood up and wrapped himself around Levi. "Do you have to," he whined, nosing into the man's neck and scenting his smell. Levi still smelled of traces of their coupling although Eren was now clean, free of the man's scent. "Can you mark me? I washed it off in the bath," he asked, rubbing his face over Levi's scent gland and beginning to mark himself without permission.

The Alpha chuckled and looped his arms loosely around Eren's waist, tilting his head to the side to allow Eren to nuzzle further against his throat, his scent flaring up eagerly. He drew the Omega further in against him, enveloping him in the strong sea salt citrus of his scent, perfectly happy to put the protective claiming smell on the other male. "You don't gotta ask for it sweetness. You're mine and I'm yours for the time being. What kinda boyfriend would I be if I refused to scent you?"

"I know," Eren sighed against Levi's skin as he continued to rub his face and cover himself in the man's scent, "But you want to keep this casual, which I understand." He turned his head to rub their throats together vigorously and moaned quietly at the feeling of slick skin connecting. "I don't wanna push your boundaries and be a crazy clingy Omega. But after being knotted today, my instincts are screaming at me to be close to you. I think it might drive me crazy if I'm not at least scent marked and I won't be able to let you work." Biting his lip, he looked at Levi with worry, "I'm sure after we have sex more, my touch craving will die down. Hopefully." He didn't want to drive the Alpha off. Eren knew what this was, but he could feel his body cry out to be bonded by this man. He'd never felt this way before and he felt self conscious about it, knowing how Levi felt already.

Levi hummed, rubbing his hands up and down Eren's back to soothe his nervousness. "It's fine. I don't mind marking you. I want to. I'm possessive, remember? Must be the chemistry between us that's causing the instincts to stay close. I feel it too. It's no big deal; the instincts will settle down, I'm sure," he assured idly. He could casually mark Eren. Just because their relationship was not and would not become more serious didn't mean he was going to leave the Omega unprotected from harassment without his mark. While they were together, as Levi had said, Eren belonged to him and he to the Omega. He wasn't generally inclined to flirt with others when he had a steady partner already. He didn't care for having multiple Omegas on the line at one time and he was too possessive by nature to be alright with Eren fooling around with other Alphas while they were seeing each other. Casual or not, infidelity was infidelity when the rules were already laid out.

"They better," Eren said with a pout, starting to drag kisses up and down Levi's neck, "You're fucking driving me crazy." Stepping back, in his best Omega bitch voice, he cocked his hip and snapped his fingers. "I'm an independent Omega that don't need no Alpha," he said seriously, then crumpled into hysterical laughter at his own joke.

The Alpha gave Eren a squeeze around the middle when the Omega's lips trailed over his neck, hold loosening when he stepped back. Levi chuckled, a cocky grin on his lips, "That's not what you were saying when my tongue was in your ass," he murmured, rubbing his thumbs against the soft skin over Eren's hipbones, eyes alight with simmering desire and teasing humour as he looked the other male up and down appreciatively.

"Mm," Eren licked his lips as his green eyes filled with heat at the memory, "You're right. I definitely need that tongue and dick." Eren bit his lip and smirked as he reached down to palm Levi through his coveralls. "I don't mind being cock whipped, Alpha," he said with a giggle and pressed a little harder as he felt the man twitch through the fabric. He leaned forward to ask in Levi's ear, "Did you like it when I begged for you?"

Levi inhaled sharply through his nose, hips rocking into the pressure of the Omega's palm on his crotch. "Mm, you know I did. You're trying to tempt me again already?" he murmured, voice dropping several octaves as fresh arousal threaded through the air, calling dominantly to the Omega. Levi squeezed Eren's hips, tilting his head to nose behind the other male's ear while Eren's breath stirred at his own, "You want me to take you again right here on the countertop sweetness?" he breathed heatedly, inhaling the sweet scent of his Omega deeply and rumbling appreciative sounds in his chest.

Eren's breath hitched and his whole body shuddered at the thought. He could feel himself slick once again, his body responding to his instant increase in arousal. What the hell was this Alpha doing to him?

He leaned back in Levi's arms, gazing into the man's eyes with glassy arousal. "Will you?" he asked, already starting to pant as his hands moved to slide under Levi's black shirt and feel the smooth soft skin of Levi's torso.

The Alpha's head lolled onto his shoulder and he stared at the Omega from beneath his lashes, pupils already half dilated, the mercury surrounding them dark with lust. He licked lips and swallowed the sudden excess of saliva in his mouth, nostrils flaring as the scent of fresh slick began to waft into the air. He palmed at the plump hips a moment or two as if considering the pros and cons of giving in to the Omega. His forearms and biceps flexed as he abruptly lifted Eren and set him up on the island top, wedging himself between the brunette's dangling legs, grinding his pelvis into the other male's and sliding a hand up to coax Eren's mouth to his own. "Say pretty please sweetness and I'll give you anything you want," he growled against the Omega's lips before running his tongue along Eren's plush bottom lip, nipping at the corner.

Eren squeaked as he was suddenly lifted off the ground and onto the counter, quick to wrap his legs around the Alpha and pull him even closer as their arousals rubbed together. "Pretty please _Alpha_ ," he said immediately with wide pleading eyes as his whole body squirmed with desire. Levi actually was turning him into a cock slut and he wasn't bothered by it at all. It was like he was in heat, but only for Levi. No other Alpha would do.

"Mm, good _Omega,_ " Levi murmured, sliding his hands up Eren's back beneath his shirt before trailing them back down to slip down the back of his loose sweats and the elastic of his underwear beneath, fingertips teasing along the crack of the Omega's ass. He hummed his approval as Eren rubbed wantonly against him, the scent of his desire heavy in the air and mingling with Levi's, driving the Alpha wild with the instinct to again bury himself in the delicious heat he'd taken only a few hours ago. God help him, Eren was fucking irresistible.

He pushed the sweats and underwear down further, coaxing Eren's hips forward when necessary to slip the material from under his ass, stepping back when the Omega reluctantly loosened the hold his thighs had on the Alpha's hips so that Levi could remove the pants the rest of the way, letting them crumple in a haphazard pile on the floor by his booted feet. Levi immediately stepped back into the space between the other male's now naked legs, running his palms up the smooth thighs appreciatively and pressed in for more heated kisses, working his way over Eren's collar and up his throat, leaving a trail of fresh love bites along the way to his mouth again. "Gonna spread you out right here on the counter, fill you up so full, hmm. You wanna be full of my cock, don't you _Omega?_ "

Eren whined loudly, his length hard and glistening against his stomach as Levi attacked his throat. He wrapped his legs around the Alpha’s hips once more, grinding into the man. “Yes… Ah!... _Levi_!” he moaned. A steady stream of slick was leaking out of him onto the counter; his thighs shining with wetness. He immediately started grasping at Levi's coveralls, managing to pull them down to release the large hard cock from within. Eren gripped Levi's hip with one hand and stroked the Alpha's length with the other as he begged, "Stick it in… Want it now… I'm ready… Feel so good… I need it... Please Levi!"

The Alpha growled through gritted teeth, kneading at the Omega's hips, his own thrusting shallowly into Eren's grip on his cock. He nudged at the Omega to get him to lay back on the cool countertop and gripped his hips, sliding him to the very edge before he was prying the brunette's hand from his straining member, grabbing it himself instead and guiding it where Eren was begging for it. He slammed inside without hesitation, groaning gutturally as the Omega's body sucked him in greedily and he palmed at Eren's sides, hips and thighs, groping roughly and beginning to move at a quick and harsh pace, sliding in and out with little resistance.

"Ah!" Eren cried out, back arching off the counter and eyes rolling back in his head as his Alpha slammed into him. The pace Levi set was brutal, already slamming into Eren's prostate, making the Omega roll his hips as the Alpha thrust inside. "Fuck... I'm a-already close," warned Eren, his legs curling ever tighter around the man's hips and drawing him in further.

Levi grunted breathily, bowing over as his hips continued to move, instinctively driving into Eren while he mouthed at his exposed belly and chest, bunching the shirt up under the Omega's arms, hands too occupied to be bothered with removing it entirely. "Good... S'good, cum for me Omega," he murmured lowly, lips moving against damp, sweet flavoured skin as he rocked into the brunette harder, already feeling his own impending release, heat rolling in his gut and spreading under his skin in electric waves, the base of his cock already swelling in another knot that he had no hope of resisting. "Fuck... What is it about you?" he panted, nipping at a peaked nipple, fingers gripping harshly as the Omega's hips, leaving more marks in their wake.

"Levi Levi Levi Levi Levi Levi Levi Levi," Eren repeated like a prayer in time with the Alpha’s thrusts. He was so close, and the feeling of the Alpha’s knot forming and rubbing the ridge of his hole sent him over the edge. Eren came untouched, shooting all over his exposed stomach as his back arched off the counter.

A low growling purr of pleasure vibrated in the Alpha's chest and he leaned back, losing his rhythm, thrusting erratically a handful of times more before he was slamming his knot inside the shuddering brunette, staring down at him from hooded eyes as he panted hard and his hips jerked while he filled the Omega with creamy cum repeatedly for several moments. His hands kneaded firmly at the Omega's hips as both of their chests heaved with their breaths. He licked his lips, head tilted as his eyes ran over the other male. "You're fucking beautiful," he breathed huskily and he wasn't lying.

Eren sat up on his elbows with flushed cheeks staring down at where they were connected. "You... Knotted me again," Eren observed, shock and amazement in his voice and eyes even though he had felt it when it was happening. Knotted twice in one day without being in heat... Could they be that compatible?

Levi carded one hand through his sweat damp hair, "Ah, yeah, sorry, I dunno why it keeps happening with you," he replied, voice still husky and low, breathy as he tried to regulate his breathing again, dropping his hand back down to rest on Eren's lower abdomen before he slipped both hands to his sides, "Come 'ere, I'm gonna move us to your sofa for now; the counter can't be comfortable."

Eren shook his head with a shy smile, his cheeks glowing redder. "No... I like it... Being filled by you completely... It's amazing," Eren assured, his eyes still trained on Levi's knot hidden inside his body. He reached up and looped his arms over Levi's neck while the Alpha lifted him up and walked towards the sofa. Eren clung to him, making sure not to pull on the man's knot too much and accidentally hurt the both of them. Eren squeaked as Levi flopped back on the couch so that the Omega was on top of him and straddling the Alpha’s hips.

The Alpha let out a groan as he sank back into the cushions, sliding his hands up and down Eren's back affectionately for several long moments before he settled them against the soft golden skin of the other male's thighs. He shuddered a little as his cock shifted inside the Omega slightly. "Mm, it's definitely something else," he hummed, leaning his head back against the couch and simply watching the Omega in his lap. "If it keeps happening, I'm going to have to work overtime to finish the yard," he observed idly, a little half smirk forming on his mouth.

"Mm, not tonight though ‘cause you're taking me out. Boss’ orders," Eren commanded with a cheeky smile, wiping the cum off his stomach with his shirt then lying just so that their bellies were connected. He put his chin in his hand, affectionately staring down at the man. "So... We'll be here for a while. Since you can't escape... Tell me about yourself. What's your family like? How was your childhood? What's your favourite color and food? All that shit."

Levi chuckled and nodded, "Of course boss," he agreed without missing a beat. He was silent for a second or two, considering the questions and watching Eren watching him.

He massaged at the Omega's smooth thighs unconsciously as he answered. "My family is a bunch of lunatics. My sister is newly bonded and she and her mate just bought a new house... Fixer upper is not even a plausible term for the place. It's why I was late yesterday. A pipe burst in their basement and I, being the fucking wonderful big brother I am, went to help bail water and clean up the mess. She stubbornly wants to fix it up themselves, but I have a feeling I'll eventually be enlisted to finish the project... My mom and stepfather are disgustingly happy and own a bakery café downtown. My uncle runs the landscaping business while I and a few others run around to do the dirty work," he paused, wetting his lips before continuing, relaxed and content just lounging on the couch connected with Eren.

Eren listened to Levi's voice with a dopey grin on his face; happy that the man was opening up to him. "Aww, such a good big brother. Not gonna lie, I was ready to rip your balls off. You were saved by your good looks," Eren said as he nuzzled into Levi's face.

Levi smiled cheekily then continued. "My childhood was shit. My dad was a drinker and a gambler, a shitty father and a shittier mate. My ma left him when I was four. We moved in with my uncle so that he couldn't follow her. It was rough for a while after that. Breaking the bond was really hard on my mom even though she was the one that wanted to break it in the first place. My uncle basically took care of her and me for the first three years we were here. Then she met Brian and shit got better. She had Isabel, my little sister, when I was fourteen. Haven't seen my old man since we left," he shrugged one shoulder as if it didn't bother him; it was old news.

As Levi told him about his mother and father, Eren realized that was probably why the man wouldn't bond with anyone; fear of a bond break. It was an understandable fear. Eren had never known anyone personally that went through a break, but his father had helped treat a couple particularly nasty cases that Eren ended up hearing about at home. It was a hard thing to go through. Eren decided that it was probably a touchy subject for the Alpha so he skipped over it with just a nod.

"My favourite colour is hunter green and my favourite food is probably waffles. Satisfied?" Levi finished with a little grin, eyes warm as he looked at Eren.

"Mm," Eren hummed at Levi's question. "Nope. Not nearly satisfied. I want to know everything about you." He grinned cheekily at Levi, but he was completely serious. He **did** want to know everything about the Alpha.

Levi shook his head, his smile tugging at his lips, "I'm not that interesting. But I'll tell you whatever you wanna know. I don't like secrets. Tell me about you. I'm not even sure what you do for a living, though you're obviously successful at it," he said, returning Eren's cheeky grin in kind, raising one hand to ruffle the already tousled chestnut locks of the Omega. Damn, he was such a pretty little thing, especially when he was all lit up like that.

"I'm the new head of marketing and advertising at Trost Communications. You know that big ass building in the center of downtown," Eren said nonchalantly, drawing patterns with his fingers on Levi's chest. "I haven't started work yet; they are giving me some time to settle in, but I've met my team..." Eren said with a sigh. "Most of them are Alphas that had the gall to hit on their new boss. Safe to say it's gonna be interesting working there."

"Hmm, somehow that suits you, I think. I hope you put all them shits in their rightful place. Maybe they'll leave you alone if you come in with my mark on you, hm?" he replied in a quiet murmur, a little grin still tucked into the corner of his mouth, "My parents' café is pretty close to there. My ma always complains about the hustle and bustle of the 'suits.' Do you like it, advertising, I mean?" he asked, dropping his hand to the base of the Omega's neck, massaging beneath his nape idly.

"Yeah, you should definitely mark me for work," Eren said, nodding enthusiastically to Levi's offer, "It was hell meeting them without a mark. I was gonna get some hardcore scent maskers, but if you’re willing then that solves one problem." Eren sighed, relaxing against Levi's chest as the man rubbed his neck. "I'll check ‘em out for lunch then. Advertising’s fun, but manipulative as fuck. I gotta make people want to waste their money on the stupidest shit."

Levi laughed, "Somehow I imagine you have very little trouble persuading people to spend their cash on your products. And I don't mind marking you. Keep those punks from getting handsy with someone else's Omega, specifically mine," he said, voice rumbling from within his chest beneath Eren's head. He settled his warm hand along the back of Eren's neck while his other moved to draw swirling patterns with his fingertips over the Omega's lower back ticklishly. He nuzzled the top of Eren's head, scenting him familiarly. "What's the dumbest thing you've had to sell someone?"

Eren cocked his head at Levi, smile broadening. "You really want to know?" Eren asked teasingly. Looking up, he thought to himself then laughed out loud. He calmed down a bit and managed to say, "Okay okay. We had a contract with a company to market... Knot enlargers." He began to laugh again, "I had... I had to look at so many penises for research. Oh my god."

Levi very carefully kept a straight face while Eren spoke, the only clue that he desperately wanted to grin and laugh was the subtle twitching of his jaw. "That sounds a lot **knottier** than it likely was. What was the slogan for the enhancers, _Got Knot_?" he had to clear his throat to quell the chuckle that threatened to escape, but he couldn't do anything about the slow curl to his lips, "Were there before and after photos? Did they actually **work**?" He managed to say without losing his composure entirely, his stomach flexing with the effort it took not to crack up, his eyes glimmering brightly, silver flecks dancing with humour.

Levi could just imagine the blush that had probably not faded for days on the Omega's soft skin. He very much doubted that the photos did a whole lot for the Omega, but they probably embarrassed the hell out of him and to imagine Eren then having to sales pitch the enhancers...

Eren laughed at Levi's horrible jokes, jostling the knot that was currently in him and hitting the man on the chest. "I would say I could get some free samples... But I don't think my ass could take it if they **actually** worked," Eren said through his giggles, choking on the air as he tried to pull oxygen into his lungs. "Got knot..." Eren repeated, laughing loudly again, "Oh man. That's good. Maybe you should come work for me in advertising instead." Eren could feel the man's length shift inside of him as he laughed, but he couldn't help it; what Levi said was damn funny.

Levi lost it when Eren laughed, unable to hold in back any longer and the hiccoughs of laughter accompanied by the movement and contractions of Eren's body sent shivers through him as his knotted cock was squeezed and jostled and he had to grab Eren's hips to try and still the both of them, not that it did a whole lot. He inhaled a shaky breath and wet his lips before he could reply.

"I was going to ask you how I measured up, but I guess you already answered that. Both times, you seemed pretty satisfied with it so I can't say I was worried about it," he said with a cocky smirk, purposely shifting his hips while he gave the plump hips in his hold a squeeze, "I'd rather work for you at home. Besides, you're the only one I care to make smile."

"Definitely more than satisfied, Alpha. I never thought sex could feel that good," Eren said seriously, looking at Levi with warm eyes. Sitting up he stared down at Levi as he ground his hips into the man, moving the knot inside his body. "Next time you're _working_ inside, we should use this position. You look good underneath me," Eren said, the heat in his eyes suggesting he hadn't had his fill of the Alpha yet even though he'd been taken and knotted twice in one day.

Levi's smirk broadened further and he kneaded the flesh in his hands appreciatively, "S'that so? I think you meant **you** look good on top of me," he murmured huskily, "And you know, we have all night to find out. After dinner, you can come back to my place if you want. It's closer to where I'm taking you to eat anyways."

"Hm, sure sounds good," Eren said lightly, not really caring where he spent the night as long as he was with Levi. "That way Phoenix won't cockblock me again," he said teasingly with a laugh. He shuddered as he felt the tell tale sign of Levi's knot deflating, slipping out of the Omega’s body along with cum and slick. "Gross," Eren said as he wrinkled his nose in disgust at the feeling of liquid flowing down his leg. 

Levi smiled in response to Eren's words and then groaned, his head falling back when the pressure finally broke and his knot deflated, allowing him to slip from inside the tight heat of the Omega's body.

Sighing loudly, Erem pulled himself off of Levi to go take another bath. What he didn't expect was his legs giving out and immediately falling to the floor on his hands and knees, yelling, "Shit!" as he went down.

Levi jerked upright when he heard the thump and the curse and he swallowed hard at the sight presented to him. He didn't even want to consider what it meant that he could feel a rush of arousal flare up in his gut in response to the display, regardless of the fact it was obviously unintentional and they’d only just finished. He swallowed again and pulled his coveralls up onto his hips jerkily before he moved to assist the Omega. "Jesus, are you alright?" he finally managed to ask once he could find his voice again, desperately forcing his eyes away from the sight of slick and pearly rivulets of his own cum rolling down the backs of plush thighs as he reached for Eren's waist to pick him up.

"Y-Yeah. My legs are all numb," Eren said to Levi as the man lifted him to his feet once again. His legs threatened to betray him once more as he stumbled, caught by Levi so that he wouldn't fall flat on his face. "Damn. You'd think with all the yoga I do, I'd be better conditioned for this... Maybe I should do more body strengthening," Eren said, clinging on to Levi desperately, completely unable to stay standing on his own, "Mind taking me to the bathtub? Feeling should come back with heat... Probably."

Levi let out a breathy chuckle. "I can do that sweetness," he affirmed, but instead of simply letting Eren use him as a support, he swept the Omega up into his arms and started off down the hallway to Eren's bedroom where the ensuite bathroom was located.

Eren squawked in protest as the Alpha lifted him up, but made no move to squirm from his grip. He let the man carry him to the tub, put him in gently then turn on the taps. "Thank you," he said blushing at the man's gentle attention, "Sorry about that. I'm probably heavy."

"Nah, I lift heavier shit than you daily, sweetness," the Alpha dismissed, flashing Eren a roguish little grin before he was straightening up, grimacing at the cool dampness of drying cum on the inside of his coveralls. "I'm gonna have to start bringing an extra set of clothes if these early mornings and long lunches are going to become a habit," he said, completely unopposed to the idea of having excess laundry if he would be dirtying it with the Omega.

Eren leaned back in the tub, wiggling his toes under the hot water that rushed out of the tap. "I could clean out a drawer for you if you want..." Eren said casually, closing his eyes so that he wouldn't be embarrassed for offering.

"Maybe... Is that a subtle way of saying you _want_ to make a habit of this?" Levi replied, eyeing the Omega as he leaned back against the counter, plucking up a washcloth from the neatly folded pile in the wicker basket next to the sink, fully intending to at least attempt cleaning himself up. His day had certainly turned out entirely more satisfying and far messier than he'd expected. But fuck if he didn't feel fantastic.

"I didn't mean to be subtle about wanting you at every possible opportunity," Eren said opening his eyes to bat his eyelashes sweetly at Levi like what he said wasn't horribly dirty. "If I have to sacrifice a drawer so I get laid more often, then I will have to sacrifice a goddamn drawer," said Eren as he waved his hands in the air dramatically.

"I might just take you up on that. One set of clothes might not be enough considering it's happened twice already and the day's only half over," Levi snorted and shook his head, unable to keep the little smirk off his mouth, pride spreading warmly in his chest. The Omega's words stroked his Alpha ego in such a way that he didn't even consider the fact that he had a rule about keeping a drawer of things at his partner's place. Eren might be worth breaking one of his rules. It was for purely practical reasons, after all. It wasn't like he was moving in or proposing to Eren. Living with Eren might not be so bad, come to think of it, so long as they spent a majority of their time tied together after debilitating rounds of sex.

He shook his head to rid himself of the ridiculous thoughts and blamed them on his lust addled brain, refusing to consider that there might be other reasons keeping so close to Eren seemed so appealing. He turned towards the sink and turned on the tap to wet the cloth before wiping his chest and abdomen down before moving lower, doing his best to remove the damp and somewhat sticky residue from his skin and clothing. He was so taking a shower first thing when he got home.

"You know," Eren said leaning forward to turn off the tap to the tub as he watched the man try and clean himself off, "If you wanna get clean, you can always get in with me. It's a big tub... I'll even wash your back, Alpha." Eren smiled cheekily at the man, still attempting to distract Levi from work even though he'd just regained feeling in his legs.

Levi met Eren's gaze through the reflection in the mirror above the sink, heat in the half dilated mercury depths of his eyes, "If I get into that tub with you, we're never going to leave for our date and I'm not going to finish staining that damn fence today," he replied, voice dropping lower as his skin heated. It's not like the thought hadn't crossed his mind, but it was much more compelling when Eren _offered_ and they both knew that neither of them were going to end up any cleaner if he took him up on that offer. It was so damn tempting...

"Mm, offer still stands," Eren said, smiling devilishly at the man through the mirror, knowing exactly how tempting it was. The Omega wondered how far he could push the Alpha. Taking his body wash, he started to lather himself with soap, holding Levi's gaze as his hands slowly ran over the slippery golden skin of his chest then lower.

Levi's hands stilled, cloth clenched in his fingers and wrung tightly as his gaze tracked Eren's sensual motions in the reflection and he inhaled a sharp breath as if he'd only just remembered how to breathe. A low, deep growl rumbled from his chest and he let the cloth fall to the sink, wrenching the water off before he spun around to face the Omega. "You aren't playing fair sweetness," he murmured through gritted teeth, silver gaze glued to the motion of Eren's hands over his own skin.

"Nope," Eren said with a pop of the p, proud of himself for driving the Alpha crazy. Sitting back with a slosh of the water he laughed, kicking his feet. "Okay okay. I'll stop teasing you. Come give me a kiss and I'll be a good boy," Eren said leaning to the edge of the tub to rest his head on the side looking up at Levi. "Well until later that is," he added with a smirk.

The Alpha growled, but obeyed, stepping over to the side of the tub and reaching to cup Eren's jaw, strong, calloused, but surprisingly soft fingers spread along the side of his face and behind his ear. Levi leaned down to give him an aggressive and punishing kiss that lingered for several long moments and involved tongue as well as teeth. When he pulled away, he brushed a thumb over the Omega's wet and reddened bottom lip and stared at him for a heated moment before he straightened up "Come out and get me when you're ready to go to my place sweetness," he said in a thick, smoky voice before he turned and left the bathroom before he couldn't.


	5. Cementing Sentiments

Eren closed his eyes as he sat back in the tub, touching his fingers to his lips as he savoured the feeling of Levi's bruising kiss. His body vibrated with giddiness, high off Alpha pheromones and Levi himself. The man was funny, hot, considerate... Everything Eren had ever wanted in an Alpha if he was being honest with himself. If he was being even more honest with himself, he knew that sooner or later, he would want more from this relationship.

Eren sighed, shaking his head at the thought. He promised himself he would have fun with this relationship. No need to get in over his head. Putting the worry from his mind, he scrubbed his body raw with his favourite body wash. It smelled like vanilla and sugar; perfect match for his natural scent. He got out of the bath, dried off and arranged his hair into the mess he’d perfected in university then went into his bedroom to go through his entire wardrobe.

After some time and several outfit changes later, he ended up in a pair of tight light wash jeans, ripped to shreds artistically with a navy blue button down that stretched deliciously across his chest. Eren wasn't as built as Levi, but he was definitely still toned, filling the shirt out nicely. He stood in front of the mirror in his walk in closet for some time then decided it was as good as it was going to get.

Grabbing his wallet, phone, and keys, he made his way to the backyard. Eren leaned on the doorframe and watched Levi work, deciding to enjoy the view before the man noticed he was there.

The Alpha could smell him when Eren appeared, but he didn't immediately look at him as he rinsed the brushes he'd been using to stain the newly built fence that was now fully closing off the Omega's yard from the view of his neighbours' homes. He straightened up and stretched, before using his dark shirt to wipe sweat off his forehead, giving Eren a delicious view of his torso and chiseled abs that flexed with his movements. His own scent thickened in the yard just knowing that the Omega was watching him.

Finally, his half dilated, heat filled mercury eyes shifted to the Omega and he licked his lips as he looked Eren up and down. "You look tasty sweetness. You ready to go, I take it?" he asked, lips quirked in an impish little smirk as he let his shirt drop back down though a strip of pale flesh could still be glimpsed between the wrinkled hem of the t-shirt and the coveralls that had drooped lower on his hips than they had been.

"Tasty enough to eat?" Eren asked, slipping on some grey sneakers and shutting the door behind him to walk out into the yard. He stood casually with his thumbs hooked in his belt loops, surveying all Levi's hard work with the fence. "See I get great sex _and_ an awesome yard. This whole arrangement is just a win-win for me," he said turning to Levi and trailing his gaze up and down Levi's body.

The Alpha tilted his head, the mark from the day before on full display in all it's violet hued glory on his pale skin and he lowered his lashes while watching Eren watch him. "Definitely tasty enough to come back for another helping," he murmured, brushing his hands off on the thighs of his coveralls before he offered one to Eren, "You happy with the progress then?" he asked after a second's pause, glancing from the Omega to the yard in question and he was grateful he'd had the forethought to tidy up, knowing that the day had nearly been done and anticipating the Omega's arrival.

"More than happy. It looks amazing," Eren said, taking Levi's hand and moving forward to kiss the man on the cheek. He swung the Alpha's hand between them as he looked back at the yard. "You know, you should use this for advertising. Get some professional photos done. I think it'd really help your business," Eren said, switching into business mode, "’Cause your website is kinda shit. I almost went with your guys’ competitors... Smith or whatever."

"Mm, well mister big shot marketing exec, maybe you can give me some pointers to fix up the site. My uncle isn't the most computer savvy or creative guy. We do have some albums; Kenny doesn't know how to put them online and I don't have the time. It's a good thing you didn't go with Smith Senior. He's a prick, thinks Omegas should stay at home barefoot and pregnant. You wouldn't get along well with him, trust me sweetness. His son's a good buddy of mine and doesn't share his dad's shitty beliefs, matter of fact, he owns the place I'm taking you to eat tonight," the Alpha replied, drawing Eren closer and giving his hand a squeeze before he was tugging him towards the side gate to his truck, glancing back at the Omega every few seconds.

Eren let himself be led from the backyard as he thought back to looking at the Ackerman's website. "I chose you guys because your reviews were better," Eren said with a shrug as Levi opened the truck's passenger door for him and he got in. He waited for Levi to get in the driver’s seat before he spoke again, eyes looking down at his hands with reddening cheeks, "I can give you more than pointers. If you want, I could rebuild your site; completely redesign it to draw in new clients. It says in my contract I'm allowed to freelance... I wouldn't mind helping you out..."

Levi looked at Eren, his arm over the back of the Omega's seat as he pulled away from the driveway, "Sure, that'd be great. I'll put up the lattice work in your yard free of charge in exchange, how's that?" He offered because it was fair. "And only if you have the time. Don't make it a priority of anything." He didn't bother rolling down the windows this time around as he didn't really mind all that much if the whole truck smelled like the Omega. Their scents were mingling familiarly now, mutual attraction evident and recognized and wholly accepted. Even if he had rolled them down, he very much doubted it would have any real effect now that they were intimate and they were only going to his place anyway; if he got a hard on, it wasn't like it was going to be a problem.

He flashed Eren a smile before he turned his eyes back to the road ahead, turning off onto the highway, the quickest route to his flat on the other side of town. "When do you actually start work anyway? You said they were giving you some time to settle in. How long are they giving you?"

"Wellll," Eren said reaching over to take Levi's hand to hold in his and give it a squeeze, "To be honest, there's no way you'd be able to afford my normal fee. But I like you... So It's a deal. I'll fix the website for the lattice work. Just bring me all the photos and I'll work my magic."

Eren took a deep breath, loving the combined scent of his and Levi's in the air and relaxed back into his seat. He stared at the man with affection in his eyes, unable to look away, as he swiped his thumb back and forth across the man's hand. "I start work in a week. And I'm going crazy with boredom. I'm used to working so much, I don't even eat or sleep. So you're website will give me something to do... Other than think of new ways to distract you from work."

Levi hummed. "Maybe I'll actually be able to get everything done then as long as you keep yourself busy with fixing our shoddy website. You sure you'll be satisfied with mornings and lunch breaks until I'm done for the day?" the Alpha asked, a hint of teasing in his voice as he glanced at Eren sidelong, threading his fingers between the Omega's idly and returning the squeeze.

"Probably not," Eren said honestly with a shrug, smirking at him mischievously, "I'll do my best to tempt you into taking some more short breaks... But then again, if you knot me every time, I guess they won't be very short."

Levi wet his lips and gave the Omega's hand another affectionate squeeze. "I guess we'll find out. Dunno if it'll keep happening or not. Either way is fine, but I do want to get your yard all set for you. I think you'll be happy with it when it's all finished," he stopped at a red light, not so far away from his flat now, and looked over to the Omega once again, heat glimmering in the darkening mercury of his eyes and a devilish little grin taking up residence on his lips, "Then we can put that daybed you plan to get to good use.'

"Mm, guess I'll have to get one with curtains," Eren said, thinking back to the ones he’d picked out, "Don't want to be arrested for indecent exposure." He glanced at Levi once, then twice, unsure if he should ask his next question. But it was kind of a pressing matter that he couldn't avoid for too long so he might as well find out now. Looking out the window, another blush rose to his cheeks. "So... Knowing my body and shit... I think I might be going into heat within the next couple weeks..."

Levi chuckled, "S'what the privacy fence and lattice work is for," he said as he turned down his street. The sudden shyness of the Omega made the Alpha look at him when he spoke further and Levi could see the flush of colour on his skin even though Eren had turned away from him.

"Oh... Shouldn't be a problem... Unless you want to handle it on your own," he said after a few seconds of silence. It wouldn't be the first time he'd spent a heat with one of his partners, though he generally tried to avoid it if he could because Omegas tended to get very attached very quickly afterwards, but he liked Eren enough thus far and they certainly were compatible; he wouldn't mind taking care of him then. It was only a couple weeks away too, less potential for deep attachment to set in. Shouldn't be a problem at all.

"You wanna spend it with me then?" Eren asked, glancing back at Levi through his eyelashes. "I wouldn't be mad if you said no... Heats can be intense and shit and we've literally just started going out... I _can_ handle it myself. Just takes a little preparation beforehand... I was just thinking you might wanna spend it with me maybe..." he started to ramble, his nerves getting the best of him, anxiety and embarrassment rising in his scent.

A soft, rumbling croon sounded from Levi's chest as the scent of Eren's nervous embarrassment rose thickly in the cab of the truck and he squeezed his hand again, rubbing gentle circles over his knuckles soothingly. "It's fine sweetness. I can't see why not. I've spent a couple of heats with other Omegas before and it's not like it'll be all that different than how it's already been right, considering the whole slicking and knotting business, though I gotta say even when I was spending heats with any of them, I didn't really get a knot... Spent a lot of time using my fingers," he assured, shrugging his other shoulder and stopping at the stop sign right before his block, truck idling for several moments as he looked over at Eren and gave him a warm smile, perfectly happy to reassure the other male.

The reason he'd never produced a knot with the others was likely because there was always that niggling fear that an accident could happen, even using protection, even when his partners assured him they were on birth control, there was always that chance and he'd never wanted that kind of responsibility. But with Eren... There was no need to worry.

"Okay..." Eren said finally, looking at the Alpha intently, "I'll plan for you to take care of me then... But if you do change your mind, I need at least three days notice, okay? To not only stock up on food, but also for mental preparation. A heat can be painful without a partner for an Omega if they aren't mentally prepared for it..."

Levi hummed his acknowledgement, warm smile still firmly fixed on his mouth. He found himself actually kind of looking forward to spending the Omega's heat with him. It was bound to be quite an experience given how intense things were between them physically. So long as things stayed as he liked them, light and casual before and after Eren's heat, there shouldn't be any problem at all.

He pulled into the driveway of a large single story country house, equipped with loft and basement and a large garage at the end of the driveway. Both house and garage were built with rustic style lacquered wood and stone and obviously well maintained. The front yard was spacious with a large willow tree to the left and gardens surrounding the large front porch that had two lounger chairs situated on it. There was a fire pit in the equally spacious backyard surrounded by mosaic stone and more gardens around the yard's perimeter.

Levi cut the engine and hopped out of the truck, slipping around to open Eren's door for him before he lead the way to the front door. There was a wide bay window facing the front yard and a large fuzzy head was looming in it, watching with intent interest as he and his guest made their way inside.

"Well, here it is, home sweet home," the Alpha said as he unlocked the door and the heavy clatter of clawed paws on the wood and tile flooring could be heard as Phoenix came barreling from the living room where he'd been watching from the window, to greet them.

Levi pointed at the incoming dog and said firmly, "Nix, manners." The malamute skidded to a halt and sat in front of Eren, fidgeting, tail thumping loudly against the wood while he tried to offer the Omega his left paw.

“You have a beautiful home,” Eren said with a smile, looking around at the house before he zeroed in on the dog. “Oh my gosh oh my gosh look at you,” Eren practically squealed in excitement. He held out his hand for Phoenix to sniff then immediately started petting the dog with both hands, ruffling its fluffy fur. Phoenix laid down and showed his belly and Eren got down on his knees, rubbing away as he cooed, “Who’s a cutie? Who’s a good boy? You’re a pretty baby, yes you are!” Still petting the dog vigorously, he looked up to Levi and said, “I think I may kidnap your dog.”

The Alpha chuckled and shook his head, amusement glimmering in his silvery stare as he watched Eren fawn over his dog while said dog soaked up the attention greedily. "Yeah, well, if you take him, you don't get to return him," he said with a grin, though it was only a joke. He'd never give his buddy away.

He ran a hand through the sweat stiffened strands of his fringe with a grimace of distaste, "I'm gonna go get cleaned up. Make yourself at home," he excused before he left the Omega with Phoenix and moved to slip up to his loft, the steps leading up from the open concept living room/ office space and two guest rooms to the right side of the house, the kitchen, dining room and bathroom on the left, patio doors leading out to the back deck along the far wall.

"Okay... No hurry," Eren said, waving a hand absently as he continued to love Phoenix. He decided to stand up and go to the living room to sit on the plush throw rug and continue petting the dog since it was a lot more comfortable than the front entrance.

Phoenix was big, but gentle, rubbing against Eren and panting happily. He butted his head into Eren's chest and knocked him over, licking the Omega’s face. "Phoenix," Eren giggled to the pup, "We just met mister! You're gonna make your master jealous." The big dog settled himself on the Omega’s torso and Eren stayed where he was although he was being crushed a little by the large dog. He petted his head and cuddled the dog as he waited for Levi to be done in the bathroom.

Steam billowed out behind the Alpha as he opened the door, carding his fingers through his damp hair. He was dressed in casual bootcut black jeans that fit his frame perfectly and a white V-neck t-shirt with a dark green and blue plaid button up over top, sleeves rolled up his forearms and left unbuttoned at the front. He sauntered out to the living room, crossing his arms over his chest and cocking a hip as he looked over the scene before him.

"Phoenix, manners," he commanded firmly and the dog looked effectively chastised as he backed off of the Omega sprawled on the floor, sitting back on his haunches and essentially sulking while Levi just shook his head. He stepped over and offered Eren a hand up from the floor, "He'll suffocate you if you let him," he said, eyeing his dog as Phoenix inched his way closer to Eren again, stopping when he caught his master's gaze and snorting petulantly.

"He's so fluffy," Eren said, grinning, taking Levi's hand and pulling himself up. He leaned down to give Phoenix a couple big smooches on the head before he backed up and looked down at his clothing. He was covered from head to toe in dog hair, but he couldn't bring himself to regret cuddling with the dog.

"Got those lint rollers you were telling me about," Eren said as he held out his arms with a giggle.

Levi looked the Omega over with a wry grin and nodded, plucking a lint roller off the key rack hanging by his front door and immediately starting to roll it over Eren's torso and arms, removing as much of the red and white dog hair from the other male as possible. "This isn't even the worst of it. You should see when he moults in the spring. I could make another dog out of all his winter fur," he said with a grin as he unrolled the sticky strip of the lint roller, ripping off the used bit and tossing it in the little garbage can beside his couch.

Once he'd finished clearing off as much dog hair as possible from his date, he put the lint roller back and drew Eren in against him, immediately scenting him as he'd promised he would and also covering himself in the Omega's scent in return, all too happy to have the scent on his skin again after he'd bathed. He nosed behind Eren's ear and murmured, "You smell way too damn good, you know that?"

"Mm you smell really good too," Eren said, snaking his arms around Levi's neck and scenting behind the Alpha's ear; almost missing the smell of sweat and sex that was there before. "Are you sure I don't smell like dog?" he giggled as he let the man cover him with scent. When they went into public tonight there would be no mistaking who Eren belonged to.

Levi chuckled, breath stirring against the pinked shell of the Omega's ear, "Definitely not. You smell like you're mine now," he said, nipping lightly at the rim of Eren's ear before he pulled back to look at him, squeezing his sides lightly and smiling handsomely. "You ready to go get some grub?"

"If we stay here any longer, I'll just find your bedroom and drag you to it... So yes," Eren said with a smirk. He gave one last pet to Phoenix, careful of collecting more hair, then walked past Levi to the door and let himself out. He waited for the man to follow and lock the door then he went to the truck, standing and waiting for Levi to open the door for him which the man seemed intent on doing.

Levi let Phoenix out before they left, tapping his foot impatiently when the dog dawdled, likely on purpose from the way he kept glancing at Levi and Eren. Finally, Levi had him back in the house, promising they wouldn't be too long as he locked the door behind them and went to open Eren's door for him as usual.

He slipped into the driver's seat and started up the truck right away. A pleased hum sounded from his as the Omega placed a warm hand on his forearm while he drove and he glanced at Eren whenever he could as they made the short trip to one of Levi's favourite restaurants and it wasn't because his friend owned the place.

_'Win's Waffles_ was a moderately sized restaurant that was decorated in electric colours with large blooming plants and bushes surrounding it and hanging baskets on the cobbled patio that was lit by a multitude of lantern shaped lights strung overhead, a mix of popular music playing in the background as people ate and talked while servers hustled from table to table both inside the establishment and out on the patio.

Levi offered Eren his hand to hold as soon as the both of them were out of his truck and smiled, "You wanna sit inside or outside?"

"Outside," Eren said with excitement, bouncing on the balls of his feet as he looked at the beautiful lights that surrounded the patio, "It's so pretty and it's gorgeous out tonight." They went up to the hostess stand, hand and hand, and Levi told the waitress they wanted to be outside. While they waited to be seated, Eren bumped his hip against Levi's, "Of course you'd take me to a waffle place. It smells fucking delicious though."

Levi grinned at the Omega's comment, "Of course, but I knew you'd like it. You **do** like it, don't you?" he replied as the hostess lead them to a little round table on the patio, glass-topped and high, with tall stools to seat themselves in. He thanked her as she handed them menus that had bright, large comic styled writing on the front that read, "If it ain't 'Win's, it ain't waffles!" and beneath it in more serious and small font, "And we don't serve pancakes!"

"Yes I do," Eren beamed, looking around at the lights now that they were seated, the colours dancing off his jewel green eyes making them almost glow. Eren looked at the menu then frowned. "What the hell do they have against pancakes?" he asked with a laugh, giving Levi a confused look.

"Erwin says pancakes are the enemy. This is a waffle house, not a pancake house and don't even mention French toast to him," Levi said with a grin, opening the menu that was full of so many different kinds of waffles ranging from the usual with syrup, fruit, whipped cream, blueberry or chocolate chip to homemade creations like the 'Mexi' waffle and baked chili cheese waffle. They served sides of bacon, ham, or sausage, but no toast or home fries. The waffles were gigantic and all orders came with two apiece, so there really wasn't any need for sides anyhow.

The Alpha didn't bother to look at the menu, already having decided what he would be getting, but still holding it open until Eren had decided. Their waitress came by to drop off glasses of iced water and take their drink orders before sauntering off to give them a few more minutes to decide their orders before she returned.

Eren looked through the menu quietly, eyes large as he eyed the different options. He licked his lips several times unconsciously as his mouth filled with saliva, anticipating delicious food. When the waitress came back, he had finally decided. "I’ll have the chicken and waffles," Eren said, reaching over to take Levi's hand and focus on the date now that he had reached a decision.

Levi ordered the sweet potato and carrot waffles with cream cheese topping and sipped at his electric blue adult lemonade, squeezing Eren's hand in his.

"So," he began, leaning back a bit on his stool and watching the Omega, "Tell me some other shit about you. I told you about my family and my favourite colour and all that, tell me about yours," he prompted, genuine interest in his voice and in his gaze, perfectly curious to know more about his temporary Omega.

"Well," Eren said, looking up as he thought of what to say, "I have a very small family. My dad is the head of pediatrics at Shiganshina General and my mom is a children's psychologist. I have no siblings or uncles or aunts on either side, and both sets of grandparents died before I was born." Eren took a sip of his water, trying to think of what else to tell the man. "My parents were really busy, but they always made time for me and I was never lonely. I had two best friends growing up and we were inseparable. One was Armin Arlert, a tiny blonde Omega. He's working under my father at the hospital and will probably be his successor. The other was Jean Kirstein. He was the Alpha I dated that I told you about before. We are still really good friends as well."

Levi's thumb traced over the back of Eren's hand and he took another sip of his drink, considering the information, "Must've been hard leaving all that behind to move here, even though you said you needed the fresh start," he replied, deciding not to comment on the mention of the Alpha that had broken things off with Eren over his infertility, still finding that the thought irritated him and not wanting to spark his anger further by speaking about Jean any further. "Mm, what's your favourite colour and food?"

"It was very hard... But I think I've been happier since I left... Especially since I met you," Eren said, looking down at their joined hands with a blush, "And it's not like I'm not going to see them. Shinganshina is only two hours away and all of them are really excited to see my yard when it's done."

Eren smelled the irritation come off Levi at the mention of Jean, but he ignored it. Jean would always be one of his best friends even though they didn't work out romantically. "Umm," he said, trying to think, "My favourite colour is blue... ‘Cause I love the ocean... It's my favourite place to be in the whole world; lying on the beach in the sun beside the water..." Eren closed his eyes with a content smile, picturing his last vacation. He opened them once more to say, "My favourite thing to eat is probably vanilla ice cream."

Levi's smile returned, endeared by the Omega's responses. "Vanilla... I wouldn't have guessed, It seems too plain for someone like you, but it's kinda cute, especially considering how you smell. The ocean's nice. I haven't been in a while. Too busy with work, but I used to go every summer. Last time I was there, Phoenix was still just a pup. Stupid dog got nipped by a crab... Pretty sure I have pictures of him looking pathetic with the poor thing clamped and dangling from his lip. It was ridiculous," he said, humour in his tone and he watched Eren across the table, his smile broadening at the recollection.

"My other favourite food that isn't a dessert is hot wings if that suits my personality more," Eren said with a laugh, knowing that his personality was pretty... Intense. "Awww," Eren whined at Levi's story, "Poor puppy. I'm pretty sure you need to show me those photos." He brought Levi's hand up to his mouth and kissed the pale skin. "You should take me to the ocean sometime when we are both free. Although as good as sex on the beach sounds... I don't think I want sand up my ass... I guess we could do it in the water instead."

The Alpha lowered his lashes, watching the Omega as he pressed his lips to Levi's skin, heat rippling out from the point of contact and stirring up the simmering desire that hadn't seemed to diminish since they'd first met. "Mm, it's unhealthy to have sex in water like that, but I could have you up against one of the trees or if we drive up, there's always the bed of my truck," he murmured, licking his lips, unopposed to the idea of taking the Omega out of town to sightsee and have sex in new places.

"Mmm," Eren hummed, eyes half lidded as he stared at the man, his scent rising with want. "That sounds amazing. I'll look forward to it then."

Eren almost jumped when a large blonde Alpha appeared beside him. "Good evening," the man said, smiling broadly at Eren, "I hope I'm not interrupting something?"

"Umm...?" Eren said, glancing at Levi nervously in confusion. Eren knew he reeked of Levi... The Alpha couldn't possibly hit on him in the middle of a busy restaurant with his own Alpha right beside him.

Levi was about to answer when Erwin interrupted their date, the tall blonde Alpha's sky blue eyes trained on the Omega. Levi growled, not at all finding his friend's teasing as funny as he did.

"That's a load of shit... How long were you spying before you found the _perfect_ opportunity to interrupt?" Levi groused, narrowing his gaze at his long time friend that had a tendency to yank Levi's chain whenever he possibly could.

Erwin's charming smile turned devilish and he winked at Eren before his gaze flickered to Levi a second, "Not long actually, didn't take long for you to give me a great opening. S'good thing my hostess put the two of you over here in the corner or there'd be no one left out here on the patio with the two of you stinking up the place with your pheromones."

Levi scoffed while Erwin turned his attention back to the shorter Alpha's date, "I'm Erwin Smith and you are way too pretty to be hanging out with this asshole," he introduced, tone teasing as he grinned and offered the Omega one large, tanned hand.

Eren looked from Levi to Erwin a moment, beginning to understand the game that was being played. Teasing Levi seemed to be becoming one of his favourite things to do so he decided to play along with Erwin; see how much he could make Levi's blood boil.

Consciously making his scent stronger, smelling of sweet unbonded Omega, Eren took Erwin's hand with a flutter of his long eyelashes. "Eren Jaeger," he replied with a crooked smile, "Is that so? Who should I be hanging out with then?"

Levi's brow furrowed and his eyes narrowed further, scent reacting possessively to Eren's flirtation with another Alpha. He knew the Omega was trying to rile him up by playing along with Erwin's game and it was working. He couldn't even help it, even knowing it was all in jest.

Erwin's eyes sparkled with mischief and mirth as he leaned in, tugging Eren's hand toward his lips, "Maybe someone taller and blonde," he said, wetting his lips in preparation to kiss the back of the Omega's hand.

"I wouldn't if I were you Smith. I may be shorter than you, but I'll still kick your thieving ass," Levi growled, only half joking as his scent curled around them insistently, giving his jealousy away. He looked to his date, "And you quit encouraging him or he'll never go away."

Eren grinned widely at Levi, reveling in the man's jealousy evident in the air. "Maybe I don't want him to go," he said teasingly, but pulled his hand away before the blonde Alpha could kiss it. Eren didn't want to take it too far and ruin the date.

Levi snorted rudely and leaned back in his seat, folding his arms over his chest. "Well, you can always go home with him tonight if you'd prefer," he said, eyeing the Omega heatedly. He could play the game too and he didn't like to lose.

Erwin leaned on an extra stool at the empty table closest to them, smiling and looking between the two with interest. Levi must be keen on the attractive brunette. The other Alpha wasn't usually quite so quick to rise to the bait when Erwin screwed with him.

"Alpha," Eren whined, grabbing onto Levi's arm and tugging him back and forth, "I was just kidding. I'm **yours**." He pouted his bottom lip and looked at Levi with pleading eyes, ignoring Erwin pointedly. The Omega didn't mind hurting his pride; he wouldn't go home with anyone else tonight.

Levi's lips curved up into a smug, satisfied little smirk and he pulled his arm from Eren's grasp so that he could tug the other male's stool and him closer to the Alpha. Once Eren was adequately close to him, Levi slid his arm around the back of Eren's stool, fingers playing with his hair as he looked at him, "That's just what I wanted to hear sweetness," he murmured huskily, his scent enveloping Eren with possessive protectiveness while the Alpha preened, instinct pleased that the Omega still chose him over another even though Levi himself had no intentions of keeping Eren forever.

Erwin's thick brows shot up and he chuckled as he watched the display, shaking his head, "I got it, you don't gotta get all bent outta shape. I was only teasing anyways. So, I take it this is the newest interest?" He looked at Eren, "Where'd he manage to capture you?"

Eren nuzzled into Levi's neck, calming himself, having grown nervous after taking Levi too seriously. "He's my contractor..." Eren replied, still draped across Levi's side, "And now we are screwing like rabbits." He smirked at Erwin after his crude remark, perfectly proud of his sexual escapades with Levi.

Levi rubbed his thumb behind Eren's ear affectionately, purring as the Omega rubbed against him and practically melted in his arms.

Erwin laughed, "Oh ho, no wonder he likes you. You have a pretty mouth and obviously aren't afraid to use it," he said, finally straightening up from his leaning position as the server brought the couple their meals.

"There are a number of reasons I like him, now get lost Smith. You're ruining the mood," Levi said in response, shifting to better accommodate the Omega against his side while they ate.

Erwin rolled his eyes, "Yeah yeah," he dismissed, glancing at Eren and his friend and shaking his head, unable to stop the knowing smile from curling on his lips. "It was nice meeting you Eren, I hope Levi keeps a hold of you for a while," he said by way of farewell, waving as he swaggered off, leaving the pair to their date.

“Mm," Eren hummed, nibbling at Levi's neck then whispering in his ear, "I hope you do too." He smirked at the man's shudder then turned to his food, starving now that the smell of food was so close. Eren stayed tucked into Levi's side, but started to cut into fluffy waffles and crunchy chicken. Taking a bite, Eren moaned. "Fuck, this is delicious," he said to his date before he continued to eat, filling his belly full of the delicious meal. He didn't even get halfway through the food before he was pushing his plate away with a groan. "Too... Much... Food," he groaned, patting his now round belly.

Levi hummed in response to the whispered words. He certainly hadn't any plans to break from the Omega for the moment. It was always the best when starting out. So long as things stayed the way they were, Eren would get his wish.

He watched Eren eat for several seconds before he dug into his own waffles which were just what he'd been craving and rumbled his own appreciation in his chest. He chuckled when Eren pushed his plate away, finding the sight of his Omega well fed and obviously content entirely endearing. He finished off his own food before leaning back, licking his lips and glancing at Eren. "Good first date?"

"Yeah," Eren said with a smile, leaning his head on the Alpha's shoulder, his scent pleasant and sweet with happiness. "Happy you decided to ask me out then?" he asked, nuzzling his head against the Alpha's shoulder.

Levi watched the Omega from beneath his lashes, wrapping his arm around Eren's shoulders and pressing his lips to the crown of his head, inhaling his scent deeply. "Mm, ecstatic sweetness. You're a welcome addiction," he murmured in response, breath stirring the soft chestnut strands of the Omega's hair.

"Mmmmmm," Eren hummed as his eyelids fluttered closed, "I'm gonna fall asleep. Food coma." He sat up to look at Levi with sleepy eyes, "My place or yours?"

"Mine," Levi said, pressing another sweet kiss to the top of Eren's head before he was pulling his wallet from his pocket with his unoccupied hand, not even bothering to wait for their server to return with the bill, leaving more than enough on the table to cover it before he was standing and pulling the Omega to his feet, slipping his arm back around his waist as soon as Eren was upright again. He caught their server's eye briefly and she nodded to them before he was leading Eren out to his truck again.

Eren was tucked away in Levi's truck before he even understood what was happening; so tired from all the food he ate, he was already almost asleep. "We... Should have split the bill," he muttered, reaching for the man when Levi got in the driver’s seat.

The Alpha smiled and hummed as he let Eren curl himself against him as they left the restaurant. "You can get it next time," he assured the Omega quietly as he turned the radio on low in the truck while he drove them back to his place, humming along with the music huskily.

“Mmmmkay," Eren said dreamily, now half asleep and not understanding what they were even talking about as he felt Levi run his fingers through the soft strands of his hair.

It didn't take long for them to get back to Levi's house, but by the time they did, the Omega was fast asleep. He barely stirred as Levi got out and came around to the passenger side to retrieve him, maneuvering him carefully from inside the cab and into his arms, holding him against his chest and shutting the car door with his hip before he carried the dozing brunette up to the front door, managing with some effort to unlock it and get it open without losing his grip on the Omega nestled against him. He left the door open for Phoenix to go out and toed off his sneakers before he was carrying Eren up the stairs to his loft.

He laid him down onto the bed and flipped on the little lamp on his dark cherry wood night stand before straightening up and returning to close the door once his dog was back inside. "Phoenix bed," he ordered quietly and the large dog obeyed, proceeding him up the loft steps and flopping down on the large pillow in the left corner of the loft as if he was completely exhausted. The Alpha shook his head and turned to look back at the Omega on his bed, a soft, affectionate curl on his lips as he stared at Eren for several long moments, finally stepping over to remove the younger male's shoes for him before he prepared for bed himself. He stripped down and situated both Eren and himself in his bed before he flipped the light off and curled himself around the Omega comfortably.


	6. Digging Holes

When Eren awoke, it was pitch black in the bed he was curled in, a bed he didn't know, but strangely that didn't scare him. The scent of his Alpha was so strong around him, it almost made him dizzy. Sitting up, a pale arm curled tighter around him as the man that was clinging to his back grumbled unhappily at the disturbance.

Eren turned to look at Levi, sleeping behind him as the big spoon in nothing, but a black pair of boxer briefs. The Alpha looked ethereal, his pale skin glowing in the darkness as it wrapped possessively around Eren's body.

The Omega's body filled with heat at the sight and he immediately began unbuttoning his shirt to throw it to the floor. With Levi clinging on to him, there was no way for Eren to get off his tight jeans although he did unzip them.

Leaning over the sleeping Alpha, Eren began kissing the pale skin, marking and biting as his hands roamed Levi's frame.

Levi stirred under the Omega's touch, his brow furrowing and a husky thrumming hum sounded from his chest, body stretching unconsciously under the attention. "Mmph," he murmured as dark mercury glinted beneath thick lashes as his eyes cracked open and a lazy smile tugged at his mouth as realization set in. "All done napping now sweetness?" He asked, voice low and rough with remnants of sleep and fresh arousal and he palmed at the Omega's naked sides.

Eren lifted his head from Levi's chest after finishing another mark and smiled down at the man with desire. He hooked his leg over the man's hips and said, "Yeah nap time’s over." Rolling his hips, he ground his ass over Levi's rising erection, with a smirk as the man shuddered underneath him.

Pale hands settled on plump hips as Eren straddled the Alpha and he rolled his own upwards against that tempting ass. His fingers spread, dipping into the loose denim at Eren's hips and he lolled his head back onto his pillow, watching the Omega with half lidded and thickly dilated eyes, the scent of his arousal curling up around them and mingling with the coconut vanilla sweetness of Eren's. "Ready to find out just how good you look on top Omega?" he asked seductively, rutting up harder against Eren's ass while his fingers slipped back under the waistband of the other male's underwear.

"I already know how good I look," Eren said breathily, closing his eyes and tilting his head in full submission as his back arched while he continued to grind against Levi. The way the Alpha's fingers gripped his hips even tighter, Eren knew he must be quite the image right now. "Do you want me still, Alpha? You've already had me twice today... Sick of me yet?" he asked with a whiny, high-pitched voice, teasing the Alpha with his body as he started to rub his own nipples, making little moans with every swipe.

Levi groaned and shifted restlessly under the teasing Omega. "Sweetness, I don't even know if that's possible. Pretty sure my dick wants to make its home inside your ass," he half growled, half groaned, watching Eren intently as the Omega put on a show for him, beautiful and captivating in the dappled beams of moonlight filtering through Levi's windows. He licked his lips and scented the air appreciatively, filling his lungs with the scent of Eren's desire greedily.

Eren continued his teasing display until Levi reached around him into his undone jeans and gripped his ass almost painfully, forcing a moan from the Omega and causing him to start slicking once again. "How do you do this to me," Eren panted, reaching down to kiss the man aggressively, with tongue and teeth before he sat back and got off of the Alpha completely.

Eren stood up from the bed and started trying to shimmy out of his jeans with a little difficulty as his motions were filled with haste. "Fuck... These jeans," Eren said, hopping up and down as he managed to pull them off and throw them towards his shirt, wearing only his blue boxer briefs now.

Levi propped himself up on his elbows to watch the Omega remove his jeans, a little grin pulling at his mouth as he watched him struggle to get the tight denim off. Eren was as adorable as he was gorgeous and Levi thought that he could probably just watch the Omega for hours and never be bored. He swallowed a sudden excess of saliva and sat up more, slipping to the edge of the bed and reaching for the other male, framing the smooth curve of Eren's waist with his hands, thumbs rubbing up and down on his firm belly while he looked up into the Omega's eyes.

He drew Eren in closer so he could press his lips beneath his navel, nipping lightly, "Slow down sweetness. There's no need to rush; we got the rest of the night," he murmured against taut flesh, feeling the Omega practically vibrating with need.

"I can't help it," Eren said, kneeling on the bed so he could sit himself in Levi's lap once more, "I want you so bad, it _hurts_." Reaching back, he coated his fingers in the slick that was soaking his underwear and slowly running down his inner thigh. "See," he said, showing the man his glistening fingers then putting them in his mouth to lick off the sweetness, "That's how bad I want you. Don't you want me Alpha?" He looked into Levi's eyes pleadingly, his own pupils so dilated that you could hardly see any green. Eren's Omegan scent was so thick in the air, it could be tasted, filled with desperation and desire.

The Alpha inhaled sharply as he watched Eren suck the slickness from his fingers, his eyes dilating further rapidly and he growled deep in his chest in response to the entirely erotic display. "Fuck, I want you too sweetness. Wanna feel you," he breathed harshly, one hand sliding up Eren's back to his nape and using the grip to jerk the Omega's head down so he could take that devilish little mouth, pressing his tongue into Eren's mouth in a dominating deep kiss, greedily chasing the traces of the Omega's sweet flavour that lingered in the other male's mouth. He rocked his hips up against the press of Eren's ass, humming guttural approval as he felt the dampness of slick seeping through his own underwear.

He leaned back a bit, keeping his mouth connected with the brunette's as he used his unoccupied hand to help maneuver his boxer briefs off of his hips and as far down as he could with the Omega in his lap, shuddering when he felt wet fabric rough on his released cock as it slid back between Eren's still clothed ass cheeks. He nipped at the Omega's mouth, swiping his tongue along the plush flesh of his bottom lip before he pulled back enough to order breathlessly against his mouth, "Take them off... Need to be inside you." He tugged at the waistband of Eren's underwear with his one hand while his other tangled in the back of the Omega's soft hair.

Eren lifted up on his knees to yank off his underwear, managing to pull them down so that they were dangling off one leg in his haste. Sitting back down, Eren slid his slick hole back and forth over the Alpha's cock, teasing the man and himself with his motions.

"Ah fuck..." the Alpha murmured breathily, grinding up against the slick heat as much as he could, his hands kneading firmly at the Omega's hips and he nipped at Eren's collarbone before winding a slick, hot trail down to one rosy nipple, pressing kisses around it as he groaned, "You're killing me sweetness. It's torture." He drew the nipple into his mouth, lips closing around the stiff nub with slick suction as he laved his tongue over it teasingly.

"Ah," Eren moaned breathily as Levi licked his sensitive nipples, his hips stuttering and stopping his teasing movements, "Alpha... That feels so good." Deciding to reward Levi, he reached down between his thighs to grip the man's length. The Omega stroked it a few times before he positioned his hole and sank down slowly; pulling just the tip inside of himself.

Levi licked his lips, rubbing his hands up and down the Omega's sides as Eren praised him and the motion of the Omega's hips stilled for several drawn out moments. He kissed his way over Eren's chest to the other nipple and laved attention on it just the same as the first, though when Eren's hand found his straining cock and lined it up before he was sitting back on it, the Alpha's teeth closed around the little nub roughly and he growled, low and feral in his chest. His hips jerked up, desperate to bury himself further in the teasing tightness.

Eren teased his hole with the head of Levi's cock, playing just the tip as he bounced lightly on top of it. When he felt the Alpha beneath him about to burst with frustration from not being in all the way, Eren abruptly sat down, taking Levi as deep as possible, now sitting in Levi's lap.

The Alpha's breath left him in a harsh exhale when he was suddenly, finally, fucking perfectly inside the Omega and his hands grabbed at Eren's hips roughly. He closed his eyes and his head fell back on his shoulders as he tried to pull breath into his lungs, shuddering as his cock twitched inside the tight, hot slickness that had abruptly enveloped him so deliciously. He bit his lip and panted through his nose, hips shifting restlessly beneath the Omega, encouraging him to move.

Eren stayed still a moment, breathing hard as he got used to the foreign fullness. "So full," he groaned, rocking his hips to grind on Levi in circles before he tipped his head back. Placing his hands on Levi's shoulders for support, he lifted with his knees and pulled Levi's cock out until just the head remained then slammed back down, making himself moan loudly.

Levi grunted, fingers spasming on soft flesh as the Omega lifted himself and slammed back down. "Mmn, fuck... S'good Omega," he murmured lowly, looking back at Eren from heavily lidded eyes while he panted. He massaged the Omega's hips in his hands, guiding them and assisting the other male's movements, muscles flexing and relaxing as he did his best to rock up into Eren every time the brunette dropped back onto his lap. He nipped, kissed and licked at whatever sweat sweetened skin he could reach, making appreciative sounds and bucking up into Eren intently, unable to help himself.

Eren bounced on Levi's cock, steadily bobbing up and down, crying out whenever the head hit his prostate. "Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck," Eren said in time with Levi's thrusts. Opening his glazed over eyes to gaze into Levi's while he fucked him, Eren panted, "I want you... I want you to cum first... So I can feel you fill me up... When I cum."

"S'that so?" The Alpha's breath hitched, heat pooling low in his gut as pressure built at the base of his cock, excited as much by the Omega's words as he was by the feeling of tight slick heat engulfing and squeezing his cock over and over again as Eren moved. "You k-keep moving like that, you'll get your wish sweetness," he murmured unsteadily, words tapering into a low groan as his cock throbbed inside the confined space of the Omega's body and he shuddered, hands clamped tightly at Eren's hips as he tried to drive up into him harder with each downward drop of the Omega's hips.

Eren immediately reached down to grip the base of his penis so that he wouldn't cum and started moving faster, timing his movements with Levi's as the man fucked up into him. "C'mon, Alpha... Fuck me harder... Fill me up... I wanna feel it... I wanna feel you... Please Alpha I need it... Levi, I need you," he yelled out incoherently as his bouncing became erratic. The Omega was trembling, fucking himself hard with Levi's hard cock, trying not to cum first.

Eren's desperate begging accompanied by his erratic movements were driving the Alpha crazy, just as desperate to give Eren what he wanted. His hands slid up the Omega's sides and back down to grip Eren's hips tightly again as he bent his knees, planting his feet into the mattress. He held fast to the Omega's hips and drove up into him as hard and fast as he could, guiding Eren into each harsh thrust. He was sweating, panting and grunting as his knot inflated. He bucked under Eren wildly. Abruptly, he harshly yanked the Omega's hips into his own, slamming his knot up into him, shuddering and unable to breathe for several seconds while he came in thick, hot spurts, filling Eren and locking them together as his knot inflated further.

Feeling Levi's knot lock them together, Eren released his death grip on his cock and came hard, covering Levi's torso in white as he cried out in ecstasy. "Hah," he breathed, grinding on Levi and moving the man's knot within him as he rode out his orgasm, seeing stars as his vision blacked out for a few moments.

Levi's chest was rising and falling rapidly, his eyes closed as he relaxed into the bedding, petting Eren's hips affectionately and making soft cooing hums in his throat as he shivered, riding high on his Omega.

"Mm..." Eren hummed, his chest heaving from exertion and his entire body glistening with sweat. "I think I'm addicted to your knot," he admitted before he leaned down to capture Levi's lips, kissing him slowly without any of the earlier desperation, but still filled with insatiable desire.

Levi hummed into the kiss, tangling one hand in Eren's damp hair and kissed him back just as passionately. His other hand caressed lightly up and down the other male's spine, thoroughly blissed out and perfectly happy to participate in the post coital cuddling and kissing. He was just as addicted.

He kissed Levi sweetly a few more times before he nuzzled his face into the Alpha's neck, scenting the man. "You smell like me," Eren said quietly into Levi's ear, "I like it a lot." He wanted to say that he liked _Levi_ a lot, but didn't want to make the man nervous.

"Hmm I like it too," the Alpha purred, shifting so that he could rub his neck against the Omega's in return, continuing in a husky murmur by Eren's ear, "I like **you** a lot, probably more than I should considering we've only known each other a few days... There's just something about you. You're a real cool Omega Eren."

Eren sat up to look into Levi's eyes to try and tell if he was telling the truth. "Really?" he asked, with uncertainty in his voice, "You're not just saying that 'cause your dick is up my ass right?"

Levi's eyes fluttered open halfway and he met Eren's gaze, the hand he'd had in his hair, resting against the side of his neck while the Alpha's thumb stroked over one flushed cheek, the lazy smile still curled on his lips, "Nah, I'm not just saying that. I've been trying to figure out why any Alpha wouldn't want you since I met you. Makes no fucking sense to me," he murmured, not entirely realizing how the words might sound or what they actually meant. He was just being honest and didn't realize just why it was that he cared about it at all and why it was that it made him want to spend more time with Eren.

Eren giggled, beaming at the man beneath him. "Don't ask me," he said with a shrug. "It's probably 'cause I don't really act like an Omega... All demure and shit. I'm too outspoken. Plus I'm also pretty tall for an Omega as well. I'm not someone you look at and think you have to protect," Eren said, listing off his faults.

When Eren was younger, he had been insecure about these traits and found himself wishing to be more like Armin; petite and shy. Now, he knew they were a part of who he was and he wouldn't change for anyone.

"Mmmaybe... You still make me wanna protect you... I'm kinda a weird Alpha though, I guess," Levi replied, still looking at Eren, warmth and curious interest swimming in the silvery depths of his eyes, overlaying the lingering desire there. "Whatever it is, I like it," he said, drawing Eren back down to kiss him again.

Eren kissed him back, tasting the man before he pulled back. "I like you too. A lot," he said nuzzling Levi's face aggressively with his own, giddy with happiness. He never wanted this moment to end, never wanted Levi's knot to go down. He could stay tied here to Levi forever, and in his high, he didn't realize how dangerous that feeling was.

Levi purred and let Eren do as he liked, returning the affection without much thought, hands petting at the Omega's skin, fingers running up and down his sides and back. He shifted beneath the brunette, laying back against his pillows and holding Eren to his chest, not really concerned about the mess between them. He had tissues on his nightstand for a reason; right now he just couldn't be bothered. "S'good like this," he murmured, closing his eyes again, perfectly content to just keep close to the other male.

"Yeah," Eren breathed, content against the warmth of his Alpha’s chest. Turning his head, he laid his ear against Levi's pale skin to listen to the man's heartbeat. The steady sound was calming, and it lulled Eren into a doze as he purred with happiness.

Eren lost track of time, cuddling with his Alpha, and soon felt the knot release, pressure lifting from his insides. "Hah," Eren shuddered as Levi pulled out. He rolled to the side, not wanting to continue crushing Levi and felt liquid trickle between his thighs. "Do you have a bath tub?" Eren asked wanting to clean up but not sure he was able to stand. His thighs were on fire after their workout.

Levi groaned lowly when he was released from the tight heat of the Omega's body and rolled onto his side to look at Eren with a lazy smile. "Yeah, I have a bathtub. The real question is whether or not you can make it down the loft stairs on your own to get to it," he said huskily, a teasing lilt underlying the words as he drew lazy patterns on the Omega's hip with his fingertips. "You wanna have one together?"

"Together, together, together, together," Eren chanted, sitting up to bounce on the mattress. "Can you carry me again? It makes me feel like a princess," he said pleadingly, giving Levi the puppy dog eyes.

The Alpha's lazy smile spread on his lips and he chuckled breathily, already moving to get out of the bed, stretching languidly before he reached for the Omega, "Come 'ere sweetness," he purred, bending slightly to lift the Omega into his arms once Eren had shuffled close enough on the bed. "So if you're a princess, what does that make me, your knight?" He asked as he carried Eren towards the steps down from his loft bedroom and to the main floor bathroom, holding the other male against his chest comfortably.

“Princess sweetness," Eren sounded out then grinned at Levi, "Has a nice ring to it." Bouncing in Levi's arms, Eren replied to Levi's question, "Right now, you're more like my horse... Faster noble steed! I guess I did just ride you. Next time we do that position, I need a riding crop."

Levi snorted and nipped Eren's cheek playfully. "I could drop you, you know? Cocky little princess is what you are. I ought to use that riding crop to discipline you," he murmured, amusement in his tone as he sauntered across the wood flooring to the bathroom, Eren's legs swaying as the Alpha carried him bridal style inside the surprisingly spacious bathroom which was dark slate tiling and silver chrome. He flipped on the secondary lights which were dim and lit the whole room in a soothing, relaxing glow.

There was a stand up shower in the far left corner, squared off by clear glass, the toilet next to it. On the left side was the large sink and granite counter and on the right was the Jacuzzi tub, large and inlaid with tile steps to get into the wide basin that was more than large enough to accommodate the couple.

Levi settled Eren on the cool tile ledge around the tub and leaned over to turn on the taps and put down the plug, a knowing smile tugging at his lips, fully expecting an exuberant reaction from the Omega.

"Oh... My... God..." Eren said, looking around the bathroom with wide eyes. "This bathroom is amazing," he squealed, kicking his feet, "I love it! I love it! I love it! Did you do this yourself? Could you do something like this in my house? I love my master bath, but the other two leave a lot to be desired." He looked at Levi expectantly, vibrating with excitement. Eren Jaeger fucking loved bathtubs.

Levi gave him a look, "Of course I did it. I did all the reno in this place, including the loft, basement and kitchen and the two spare bedrooms too. It was total shit when I bought it. I'm still in the process of putting in a second bathroom in the larger bedroom, but I've been too busy to be able to finish it. And of course, I could do it for you. You just keep adding things to my Honey-do list; I'm going to have to start paying you rent for how much I'll be over there," he replied with a roguish grin and a cheeky wink over his shoulder before he turned to peruse the various bottles lined up neatly on a floating glass shelf along the wall closest to the tub's taps.

"What kind of bubble bath do you want? I got lavender or strawberries and cream."

"Yup! I'm putting you to work, slave!" Eren said teasingly, sliding into the tub as the water poured into the tub. The Omega laughed out loud at the options Levi gave him. "So manly... Mister... Mister big bad Alpha," he said, choking as he hugged his sides. Settling down, but still giggling quietly, he managed to pick one. "Strawberries and cream please."

Levi turned to look at him with a raised brow, "I don't have to share, you know? You can just have a plain old bath and I'll just keep my bubble bath all to myself. I'm not ashamed. This shit smells good. Like I wanna smell like a **manly** fucking pine tree. Besides, I had to pick ones that don't clash too terribly with my scent," he grumbled, the tips of his ears turning pink and he popped the cap of the translucent red and white swirled bubble bath that smelled almost edible and poured a generous amount into the rising water, some suds immediately forming, but nothing like they would once he had the jets on.

"Aww!" Eren said, genuinely thinking that Levi was adorable, "I was just teasing! Come 'ere Baby, and let Momma Eren love you up." He opened his arms wide, welcoming the man into his embrace with a warm smile.

The Alpha crossed his arms over his chest and pursed his lips, looking very much like he might be pouting, but just a little before the miffed look crumpled and he couldn't keep his smile from his mouth. "Yeah yeah, laugh it up Omega, you like me just the way I am, I know it. How many other Alphas would have bubble bath for you to soak in the tub with, hm?" he said, turning off the water as he slipped into the tub with Eren and let the other male draw him in. He pressed his face against the side of Eren's neck, nosing his way behind his ear to keep him distracted while the Alpha's left hand crept to the dials for the jets, fully intending to get revenge on Eren for his teasing by giving him no warning before the jets kicked on and churned the water, making the bubbles grow to epic proportions rapidly.

"You are the best Alpha ever," Eren gushed, completely serious as he nuzzled the man back, unsuspecting of what the Alpha was about to do. Suddenly, Levi turned the jets on full blast, one of which shot right up the Omega's sensitive ass. "Jesus fucking Christ," Eren yelled, as he jumped a mile and the Alpha started to laugh. "You asshole," said Eren angrily, smacking Levi as he moved away to the other side of the tub, pouting with his heart racing from the fright.

"Ah, come on, don't be like that. I was only getting you back for teasing. If you stay way over there, you'll get lost in the bubbles," Levi coaxed, though he wasn't lying. The bubbles were already becoming mountainous in the tub and Levi had to push some aside to even be able to give the Omega a lopsided smile, "I won't do it again, I promise," he pleaded, watching the brunette, genuine threads of apology in his eyes as he scented the upset in the Omega's scent, dulled by the thick aroma of strawberries and cream, but still there. Levi's own scent rose in response, mingling with the bubble bath pleasantly and he made a soft, crooning hum sound from deep in his chest. He turned off the jets as the high fluffy hills of suds took up the tub, and started to obscure them from view of one another.

Eren huffed, keeping his head turned away and his arms crossed, but he moved through the water and bubbles to be closer to Levi once again, although he hadn't initiated contact. "You scared me," Eren said, still not looking at Levi, "I fucking hate jump scares. I refuse to watch horror movies... And it went right up my ass which hurts from taking your stupidly large knot three times today." He ended his sentence with a high pitched unpleased whine, his scent still unhappy in the air.

Levi reached out for him, his brow furrowing with regret, "Look, I'm sorry sweetness. It wasn't my intention to upset you and it definitely wasn't my intention to hurt you," he apologized, sincerity in his voice. It had been meant to be a joke and he regretted that it had backfired and ruined the previous mood. "Let me make it up to you?" he pleaded, tilting his head in an almost submissive pose.

Eren stayed silent and angry for a few tense moments, even considering getting out of the bath. He could smell Levi pleading for his attention though, so he broke down and glanced at the Alpha, once then twice; immediately noticing the head tilt. It was endearing so he allowed himself to be pulled into the man's arms once again, but kept his gaze firmly locked on the door like he might leave. "How?" he asked with a sniff.

"Let me pamper you," the Alpha murmured, turning Eren in his arms so that he could pull him back against his chest, settling him between his spread legs. He pressed an apologetic kiss to the Omega's damp temple and ran his hands up and down the other male's chest, massaging the tenseness out of him, still making the soft soothing crooning sounds, trying to put his Omega back at ease. "Close your eyes sweetness," he whispered against Eren's ear as he reached to cup some warm water in his hands, intending to wash the Omega's hair for him and hopefully relax him. He desperately wanted to get the mood back.

Eren reluctantly sank back into Levi's embrace and let the man try and relax him. He wasn't just being a drama queen; the jets _had_ hurt his abused rear and he wasn't happy about it. But the Alpha did seem genuinely remorseful, and though Eren was stubborn, he could admit he didn't want to leave.

The Omega sighed, trying to calm his on edge instincts as he let his arms float in front of him, lost to the bubbles. When Levi told him to close his eyes, he obeyed, allowing the man to soothe his nerves with his soft touches and calming croons.

The Alpha wet Eren's hair before he was reaching for a bottle of lightly scented shampoo, pouring a generous amount into his hand before he was massaging it into the thick chestnut strands, fingertips massaging at the Omega's scalp in soothing circular motions for several long moments before he was rinsing the suds out, careful to avoid any excess getting in the Omega's eyes even though Eren's eyes were closed.

Once the shampoo had been rinsed out, Levi began smoothing his hands over Eren's slick shoulders instead, the pads of his fingers digging into the flesh with pleasant pressure. "I'm sorry Eren," he murmured again, trying to convey just how sorry he was for having caused the other male discomfort and for scaring him.

Bit by bit, Eren's tense muscles relaxed as his anger seeped out of his body. The unhappiness in his scent was replaced by his normal sweet aroma; coconut and vanilla mixing pleasantly with the smell of strawberries. Running a hand through his damp hair, Eren turned in Levi's lap to sit sideways and finally look into Levi's eyes. “Princess sweetness accepts your apology,” he said with a small smile, then leant forward to give Levi a sweet kiss on the cheek, happy that the Alpha was trying so hard to please.

The Alpha hummed and wrapped his arms around Eren, "Thank you for your forgiveness, your highness," he murmured, nuzzling against the brunette's damp skin and planting kisses on his shoulder after Eren's kiss to his cheek. "I'd never purposely hurt you," he said, giving the Omega a little squeeze as he leaned back in the tub, letting Eren relax against him, his scent thickening and wrapping around the other male protectively, promising and still apologetic, mingling with Eren's and the sweeter scent of strawberries and cream.

"I know," Eren said quietly, resting against Levi's chest and listening to the man's heartbeat. "You know... If my ass wasn’t so tender to begin with... It probably would have felt good," he said with a giggle as he started to draw patterns on the soft skin of Levi's chest, "I bet I could use them to masturbate." Eren looked up and gave Levi a crooked smile.

A half smile quirked on the Alpha's lips, "I don't know if I should be jealous or not," he replied, voice vibrating in his chest as his hands slipped further beneath the warm, bubble filled water and rubbed at the Omega's legs, "Would you let me watch?"

Eren smiled and lightly nibbled on the fleshy skin of Levi's peck. "I'd let you watch if you wanted to," he finally answered, smirking crookedly at Levi, "There's not a lot I _wouldn't_ let you do. Kinky sex is fun, so if you have any fetishes, let me know."

Levi hummed, thick-lashed lids lowering over his eyes as he considered the words, "M'not sure if I have any interesting fetishes. Does wanting to take you on every available surface count? Mmn, wait, I do have a thing for those thigh high socks... Bet you'd look delicious in a pair. You're legs are sexy," he murmured huskily, affirming his statement by petting at the brunette's thighs beneath the water, "What about you? You have any naughty fetishes I should be aware of so I can exploit them later?"

“Hmm... Good to know... I actually have a couple pairs of thigh highs already. You're just giving me more ammo to distract you from work," Eren said as he started to run his fingers through Levi's damp undercut. "As for my fetishes... You'll just have to find out... I have a few, so you'll more than likely stumble upon a couple at some point."

The Alpha sighed and let his eyes fall all the way closed, an appreciative purr resounding in his throat at the feel of slim fingers in his hair and he leaned into the touch. "Mmn, you're lucky you're my boss or I'd lose my job. You're already a damn fine distraction. 'M going to have fun finding ways to punish you for all your teasing," he said as he relaxed back against the side of the tub, thoroughly enjoying the Omega's affectionate attention, pleased that he'd managed to regain the mood from before and had been forgiven for his transgression.

Eren sat up and straddled Levi's thighs, using both hands to play with Levi's hair, running them through the longer soft strands. "Do you want me to wash your hair too, Alpha?" Eren asked as he showered the man's face with kisses.

Levi didn't open his eyes, hands gravitating to Eren's hips immediately as the Omega straddled him and a second set of fingers threaded into his hair. He shivered in response to the almost ticklish, pleasant feeling. "Mm, as if I'd say no," he hummed.

Eren kissed the man's lips sweetly, then cupped water in his hands to pour gently over Levi's head. He did this a few more times, running his fingers through the wet strands and massaging the Alpha’s scalp before he grabbed the shampoo and lathered Levi's hair. He took his time, moving his hands through Levi's hair before he finally rinsed the soap, careful not to get it into Levi's eyes. When he was finished he pushed the man's hair back out of his face. "There, all clean," he said, running his hands over Levi's chest.

Levi purred in pleasure as Eren washed his hair, his hands massaging at the Omega's hips, kneading appreciatively in response to the pleasant motions of Eren's fingers against his scalp, ignoring the stir of arousal in his gut. His eyes cracked open to look at the brunette once he'd finished and instead took to petting at Levi's chest and the Alpha slipped one hand up his back to draw him in for a sweet lingering kiss, "Thanks sweetness," he murmured lowly against Eren's lips, nipping the corner of his mouth before he pulled away again. "You ready to go back to bed?"

"Mm yeah," Eren agreed before rubbing their noses together in an Eskimo kiss. Sitting back, he crawled out of Levi's lap, and got out of the tub, careful not to slip on the steps. "Where are your towels?" he asked, swiping his wet hair back out of his face.

"Under the sink," the Alpha responded as he stood and released the plug, the water draining quickly as he stepped out behind the Omega, smiling as he watched him retrieve the requested towels, dark grey and soft, neatly rolled and stored on the shelves installed in the cabinets beneath the sink. He took one from Eren when he offered it and dried himself, rubbing at his damp hair for several moments after he'd dried his skin, watching the Omega the whole while, admiring all the marks he’d left on Eren’s skin with possessive pride.

Eren dried off quickly, feeling the Alpha’s eyes on him and blushing at the attention. Wrapping his towel around his waist, he suggested, "You should carry me to bed. It makes me ridiculously happy."

Levi chuckled and tossed his towel carelessly into the hamper situated near the door before swooping Eren up into his arms again. He wasn't the least bit annoyed to cater to the request. It wasn’t like the Omega was particularly heavy and Levi liked having him in his arms.

Phoenix blinked lazily at them through the dim light filtering into the loft as Levi carried Eren up the steps, setting him down on his feet once they'd reached the top in order to strip the comforter from the bed, balling it up and dropping it next to his side of the bed to be washed later. He bent to open the drawer under his bed frame and pulled out a spare, spreading it out and turning it down lazily before he turned back to the Omega, opening his arms to him with a smile. "Fresh linens for the princess."

Backing up a few steps, Eren ran forward and tackled Levi into the bed. "Mm, smells like laundry," he said, giggling as he sprawled on top of the bemused Alpha.

Levi draped his arms loosely around the Omega's waist, watching him with an endeared expression though there wasn't much light to make out all the details of the brunette's pretty face. "Hm, not for long; it'll smell like you and I by morning," he hummed, craning his neck a bit to press his face to the side of Eren's neck, inhaling deeply and humming approvingly at the scent of the Omega's soft skin.

"That's even better," Eren said, rolling off of Levi then reaching down to cover their naked bodies with the comforter. The Omega rested his head against the Alpha’s chest and tangled his legs with Levi's as he settled down for more sleep. "Goodnight, Alpha," he said with a yawn, curling himself tighter into Levi's side.

Levi wrapped himself around Eren, dropping a couple affectionate kisses to the top of his head, tracing his fingertips in light patterns over the Omega's side. "Sweet dreams Omega," he breathed, closing his eyes and crooning contentedly as they both settled in for sleep.


	7. Leveling Surfaces

Levi woke earlier than he really needed to the next morning, roused by the ticklish feeling and accompanying sweet coconut and vanilla scent of Eren's hair beneath his chin. He smiled even before he'd opened his eyes to see the Omega still curled in his embrace.

He gently pulled himself away from the other male, ruffling his hair and pressing a soft kiss to his furrowed brow before he could consider the motions, crooning softly to settle the stirring Omega before he left him all curled up in the nest of bedding to slip into a pair of sweats.

He patted his thigh and whistled softly to get Phoenix to follow him down the steps, letting the large dog outside before he went to the bathroom, brushing his teeth and combing his hair, going about his usual morning routine minus a shower. Once finished, he padded to the kitchen, setting coffee to percolating and refilling the dog's dishes with fresh water and kibble.

He let Phoenix back in before he washed his hands and got to work on breakfast, flipping on the little radio that sat on the counter between the large stainless steel fridge and stove. He hummed along and mouthed the words to songs he was familiar with as he made omelettes with cheese, broccoli and bacon, sweats hanging low on his hips, leaving sharp hipbones and the little smattering of hair trailing from beneath his navel on display, the muscles of his back shifting with his movements as he cooked.

Eren woke up slowly, missing the warmth of his Alpha in an unfamiliar bed. He was calmed by the lingering scent of the man though and sat up, yawning and rubbing his eyes in the morning light. Hearing music and the sound of cooking, Eren got up to inspect Levi's dresser and found a gigantic over-sized green t-shirt to cover himself with, falling to about mid thigh. He briefly brought the shirt up to his nose to smell; laundry detergent and Levi's citrus and sea salt scent. The man may not be getting this shirt back.

Eren made his way down from the loft to the kitchen smelling the delicious smell of food being made, making his stomach growl. "I don't like waking up alone... But I could get used to waking up to breakfast," Eren said teasingly, announcing his presence.

Levi jumped and cursed when he burnt his finger on the pan, not having heard the other male's approach over the music and his concentration on what he was doing, perfectly folding the large omelette in the skillet. He shook his hand as he turned to look at the Omega, the motion slowing to a halt, hand hovering in the air as his eyes did a slow crawl up and down Eren's body, covered by an over-sized dark green shirt, **his** favourite comfortable green shirt which fell halfway down Eren's thighs and drooped off one smooth shoulder and he was fairly sure he liked the shirt even more on the Omega than he had before.

Eren brows furrowed in concern, taking a few steps closer to the man. "Are you okay?" he asked, worried about the burn and not noticing the desire in the man's eyes, distracted by his concern. He wanted to hug the man and kiss it better, but he knew better than to grab someone while they were cooking with hot pans.

Levi couldn't even find words, nodding as his scent rose with sudden possessive potency in the kitchen and he just barely managed to fumble the burner down to low before he stepped away from it and toward the Omega. His hands framed Eren's waist firmly and he pulled him in, aggressively scenting him and covering himself in Eren's scent in return, unable to help himself; he _needed_ to. His scent screamed mine, mine, fucking **mine.**

He panted against the Omega's neck slightly, "Sorry, you just... You had to pick my favourite shirt, didn't you?" His voice was low and rough, breathy like he was trying catch his breath.

A bewildered Eren stayed still and let the Alpha mark him with a strong and highly possessive scent. He had not thought that Levi would react this way; it was flattering and arousing. Blushing bright red with eyes glassy, an Omega whine tore from his throat as he was covered in an almost claiming scent. He cut it off though and said instead, “I didn't know it was your favourite shirt… I think we may have discovered one of your fetishes… Me wearing your clothes.” He let out a breathy laugh as he leaned down to bite Levi lightly on the neck.

The Alpha made a noncommittal sound somewhere between a breathy growl and a groan as Eren's teeth pressed against his neck lightly and he shuddered. His grip on Eren's waist tightened and he hitched the Omega up onto the counter closest to the refrigerator just in front of the radio, pressing in against him, rubbing his face against the Omega's chest before he finally looked up at the somewhat surprised and amused brunette.

The tips of his ears turned pink, the only outward expression of his embarrassment over his inexplicable reaction. It had certainly never happened before. "It was unexpected," he excused, voice muffled against the fabric of the borrowed shirt. His hands palmed at Eren's back and he reveled in the feeling of the Omega's soft thighs against his naked sides and he was sure Eren could feel his erection through his sweats, but he could hardly help it. "God help me, you make me lose my sense."

"I could go change," Eren suggested, running his hands up and down Levi's back, feeling the defined muscles and slightly rolling his hips into the man without meaning to. Feeling the man's arousal press between his thighs was making his stomach tingle with heat. The Omega began squirming under the Alpha's attention.

Levi pulled back and licked his lips, shaking his head a little. "No, it's fine. Mmn, you look good like that... Just give me minute," he assured, rubbing his hands up and down the Omega's sides, closing his eyes and taking several deep breaths. He shifted between Eren's legs and finally reopened his thickly dilated eyes. "I can't take you again when you are probably still sore from yesterday... Just gotta touch you for a minute," he tried to explain, removing one hand from Eren in order to turn the stove off altogether. "Sorry..." he mumbled, the pink in his ears turning a shade darker as he rested his forehead against the Omega's chest.

"Don't say sorry... I like it," the Omega said as he wrapped his arms around Levi's shoulders and his legs around Levi's waist, crushing the man into him as he nuzzled him aggressively. "You're making me horny," Eren whined, almost willing to handle the pain to get off.

"Mm, I can take care of it for you if you want, just, I don't want to hurt you, so I can't fuck you," Levi murmured in a strained tone, kneading at Eren's hips and thighs as he let the Omega nuzzle against him roughly, tilting his head in invitation, his own desperate possessive instinct and desire calming to a slow simmer, soothed by the Omega's acceptance and responsive reaction. The Omega was **his** ; there was no need for the intensity. His erection throbbed between his thighs, straining against his sweats and pressed snugly against Eren as he hugged Levi's hips tightly with his thighs.

"I want something else," Eren replied, unwrapping himself from Levi and jumping down from the counter. Roughly, he grabbed Levi and switched their positions, pressing the man against the cupboards. The Omega started to lick, kiss, and bite his way down until he was kneeling in front of the man, his intention clear. "I wanna taste," Eren said, licking his lips as he nuzzled the clothed erection with his face. Looking up at Levi with heat filled eyes, he tugged on the man's sweats in question.

Electricity shot up the Alpha's spine as the Omega pushed him back against the counter and he shuddered, the muscles in his abdomen fluttering as Eren mouthed his way down his chest. He breathed harshly, making a soft sort of whining noise as half-lidded and widely dilated eyes looked down at the other male. His hips shifted restlessly and he tangled his hands in Eren's hair. "Whatever you want sweetness, you're the **boss** ," he replied hoarsely, swallowing hard as he tried to keep still and not thrust into the Omega's face.

Latching his mouth on the damp fabric covering the erection, Eren blew hot air, feeling the Alpha shudder. He let go and pulled Levi's sweats down, the Alpha's length bobbed out, hard and twitching. Eren's eyes were wide as he looked, really looked at Levi's pretty cock for the first time. "I can't believe I took this," Eren said in awe, breathing on the length and causing it to twitch.

A little smirk quirked up the corner of Levi's mouth as his laboured breaths poured from between his reddened lips and he carded his fingers through Eren's hair, petting the soft strands. He licked his lips, still watching the Omega from under his lashes, hips fidgeting impatiently as precum beaded at the tip and trekked a slow, sluggish trail down the underside of his cock as Eren just stared at it. "Mm, that _and_ my knot sweetness. You're a perfect fit, trust me," he breathed harshly, shuddering again and lolling his head onto his shoulder, still soaking in the sight the Omega kneeling before his cock, looking at it in heated awe. What a pretty picture... And it did _things_ to the Alpha. Heat spread under his skin, flushing it a rosy hue and spikes of electric anticipation sparked along his nerves, Alpha pride flaring ferociously, knowing he was more than adequate for his Omega. Certainly, he'd never lacked confidence in his manhood or his prowess in bed, but he'd also never had such a potent desire to please an Omega the way he did with Eren. It was all instinct and he couldn't help it in the slightest; he couldn't deny the compatibility, but he refused to admit what exactly that instinct was trying to tell him about Eren.

They'd only met a couple of days ago, barely knew anything about each other, but that hardly mattered to the instincts that rushed through him with every moment he spent with this particular Omega. If he were the bonding type, instinct said Eren should be the one. **If** he were the bonding type...

"Mmhm," Eren hummed in reply, eyes still focused on the length in front of him. Leaning forward, he nosed at the head, smelling the potent skin of Levi's manhood and nuzzled his face into it, covering himself in the scent. Eren didn't really care if Levi thought he was weird, the act was instinctive and he found himself unable to resist.

Wetting his lips, he trailed open mouth kisses up and down the twitching length, then without warning, licked a stripe up the underside from the base all the way to the head.

Levi watched Eren rub against him, scenting himself with the Alpha's desire and he shuddered at the feel of soft skin and ticklish strands of hair against the sensitive flesh of his straining length. It was a powerful rush in his blood, understanding on some primal level that the Omega couldn't help himself, just as Levi had practically gotten drunk off of the scent and taste of Eren's slick and had hardly been able to stop himself from shoving his face between the Omega's thighs.

"Ah! _Fuck,_ " he moaned gutturally when Eren's mouth made contact with his stiff arousal and his fingers tightened in his hair a second before they relaxed again, hips jerking as if he was having a hard time controlling the urge to thrust, which he was. "Please... Don't tease Omega." It didn't sting his pride to beg. He wanted to see those pretty lips framing his dick and feel that fierce little tongue for more than a fleeting moment... And hear the sounds Eren would make because even with his mouth full, Levi couldn't imagine him silent.

Looking up, Eren held Levi's gaze with blazing eyes as he held the Alpha's cock with one hand and swirled his tongue over the head, licking up the salty precome.

Levi's breath hitched and his fingers spasmed against Eren's scalp, tugging at the strands of soft chestnut unconsciously, trying desperately to encourage the Omega to explore further and his eyelids dropped nearly closed, lashes quivering with the effort it took to keep them open even just enough for a sliver of glittering silver and blown pupils. A soft, breathless whine built in his chest as his heart quickened it's pace and his shivered uncontrollably.

Opening his mouth, Eren drew the Alpha in agonizingly slow, sucking on head as he moved his head down. Further and further he went, sucking and swallowing until his nose tickled the hairs at the base. Moving back, he pulled Levi out quickly with a pop and licked his lips. "You taste good, Alpha," he said, his voice cracking with desire then dove back in to suck on the head once again.

"Hah..." Levi's breath left his lungs sharply and hitched on the next inhale to refill burning lungs, hips stuttering. "S'good," he murmured breathlessly, running his fingers repeatedly through the Omega's hair to keep himself from gripping it harshly and forcing himself back into the intoxicating heat of Eren's mouth, licking his lips as he watched Eren's spread around his cock as it disappeared between them.

Eren started to bob his head on Levi's cock, the length moving in and out of his mouth at a steady pace. Reaching up, Eren curled Levi's fingers in his hair and made the man pull, causing him moan loudly around the length as the smell of slick rose in the air. That's one kink revealed to Levi and many more to go.

Levi didn't hesitate any further in gripping Eren's hair once the Omega made clear just how much he didn't mind the rough tugging on the soft strands. His hips rocked unconsciously into the wet suction and he groaned as the scent of Eren's slick permeated the air heavily. And Levi badly wanted to take him again, devour and fuck and **claim**. But he settled for tightening his grasp on the soft hair and coaxing the Omega to move faster. "Touch yourself sweetness... Wanna watch you," he said raspily, eyes alight with heady lust beneath the press of dark lashes.

Eren moaned again at the rough pull of Levi's hand, and reached down to pull up the long shirt to fist himself mercilessly. Pulling his mouth off Levi's cock, Eren looked up at Levi with lust clouded eyes and commanded, "Fuck my mouth." He didn't wait for a reply, sucking the man back into his wet heat then relaxed his throat, waiting for the man's thrusts to begin as he placed an encouraging hand on Levi's hip.

The Alpha didn't have to be told twice. His fingers curled into the back of Eren's hair roughly and he stopped holding himself back, rocking in and out of the Omega's slick mouth harder and faster, panting harshly as he quickly approached orgasm, high off of the Omega's willingness and the rippling of the other male's throat around his length as he fulfilled Eren's request, low pleasured noises vibrating in his chest. His eyes flickered between his cock disappearing into Eren's mouth and the slick, swift motions of his hand on his own prick. "Er-en..." he warned quietly, fingers painfully tight in the Omega's hair.

Eren hummed, encouraging Levi to cum; the vibrations tickling the member still gliding in and out of his mouth. He was close himself, gripping Levi's hip tighter as he thrusted into his own hand.

Levi shuddered, muscles going taut and his fingers flexed and relaxed in the Omega's hair and his hips stuttered, the base of his cock flaring slightly, but not nearly close to a full knot and he hissed lowly, breath escaping between clenched teeth as he began to cum. His cock jerked in Eren's mouth, streams of creamy, hot cum coating the back of the other male's throat as the Alpha lost himself in a swarm of intense pleasure.

Eren swallowed as much as he could, mouth overflowing with Levi's seed. His eyes watered at his effort as the white liquid dribbled out as the Alpha rode out his orgasm.

Eren waited for Levi to finish, then spit him out of his mouth, lunging forward to fuck his ass with his fingers as he stroked his cock. He needed the penetration to push himself over the edge and cried out as he came all over the cool tile floor.

Levi panted, chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath, watching Eren as the Omega brought himself off and Levi shuddered, heat still simmering in his gut and under his skin. The Omega was seriously irresistible. The Alpha licked his lips and tucked his waning erection back into his sweats before he was reaching for the other male, scooping him up before Eren could protest and setting him on the island, pulling a fresh tea towel from a drawer and wetting it with warm water to clean the brunette up, cloth clutched in his hand and hovering as he stopped to stare, drinking in the erotic mess that was his Omega. "You look so good like this sweetness," he purred appreciatively before he began to tenderly wipe up the cum and slick from Eren's skin, wanting desperately to be using his tongue instead, but knowing if he did, it would end with more sex and he wanted to make sure his Omega was fed and maybe back in his bed before there was any more of that. And of course, they had to make it to Eren's house at some point.

Eren gave Levi a dazed smile, his chest heaving after his orgasm and his eyes still glazed over. "Thanks for the treat," he said as Levi cleaned him up, his scent heavy in the air with sated happiness. Looking down, he frowned. "I'm gonna get slick on the counter," he warned.

Levi coaxed Eren's thighs apart so he could run the cloth between them, gentle around the sensitive little hole as he cleaned up excess slick, some of which was still leaking sluggishly from inside the Omega. "Mm, don't care. I'll wipe the counter down after. Wanna get you cleaned up first. You want to eat at the table or somewhere else?" He asked as his eyes flickered to Eren's flushed face and his moist red lips and he was struck with the realization he hadn't kissed him again.

He reached up with the hand not holding the cloth to draw Eren in for a kiss, cupping his smooth jaw and humming at the scent and taste of himself on the Omega.

Eren kissed the man back, dragging his lips lazily over Levi's and letting the man taste his mouth. He should go brush his teeth, but he didn't want to get rid of the taste of Levi from his tongue yet. Pulling back, a trail of spit connecting them, Eren said, "I don't care where we eat... But I wanna be in your lap when we do... I feel really weird and empty from slicking, but not taking your knot... It's making me anxious." He wiggled his hips in emphasis, trying to convey his discomfort.

"Mm, s'fine. We can have breakfast in bed if you want," the Alpha said, dropping the soiled cloth in the sink.

He reluctantly pulled away from Eren to plate the monster omelette and handed the plate and utensils to the Omega idly before filling two mugs with coffee, "What do you take in your coffee sweetness?"

"I take a little coffee with my sugar and cream," Eren said jokingly, "But yeah, I like it really sweet and creamy." The Omega had a giant sweet tooth, and black coffee was way too bitter for him. He jumped off the counter and made his way up to the loft to flop into bed with the food although he was careful not to spill any of it.

Levi smiled, humming his acknowledgment and listening to Eren make his way back up to the loft, and from the little clicking sound of claws on hardwood, Phoenix followed the Omega. He prepped the coffee, a splash of cream and half a spoon of sugar in his own and a generous amount of both for the other male before he took both and followed after.

Eren was in bed protecting their food as Phoenix had a paw up, big doggy eyes begging for food. "No Nix. I doubt Levi lets you have people food! It'll make you sick. Stop being adorable," Eren chastised.

"You would be perfectly right about that sweetness," the Alpha said as he came up the loft steps, stilling at the top and cocking a hip, mug of steaming coffee in either hand. He narrowed his eyes at the large dog that glanced back at him, ears drooping. "Beat it bud, you already had your breakfast, you glutton," he groused, and as if he understood, Phoenix backed off the bed, looking pitiful as he sat back on his haunches and essentially pouted.

Levi shook his head and moved to his side of the bed, setting the coffees on his nightstand before he crawled onto the bed with the Omega.

Eren immediately crawled over to Levi, placing himself between the Alpha’s legs and leaning back into him, not really caring that Levi would have to eat around him. He handed the man some utensils and started to poke at the omelette before him. "Did you have a good sleep?" he asked before he took his first bite.

A little lopsided grin tugged at Levi's lips as Eren situated himself and the Alpha curled one arm around the Omega's waist while he took the offered fork in his other, cutting into the fluffy omelette with the side of it before spearing it and leaning his face over Eren's shoulder to pop it into his mouth, making a pleased sound while he chewed, swallowing before answering, "Yeah, best I've had in a while actually. You?"

"Mm it was good. Your bed smells like you... Makes me wanna roll around in your sheets and never leave," Eren replied before he stuffed his mouth with food, suddenly aware of the growling of his empty stomach. He swallowed hard then said, "You're a good cook... I can cook, but I hate doing it. So time consuming. When I work a lot, I live off of take out."

Levi smiled broadly, "I don't mind cooking. I usually make my own lunches. Only eat take out on occasion," he paused to take another bite of the large omelette that was quickly diminishing on the plate as the Omega devoured it. The Alpha didn't mind though; it made him feel warm inside, proud to be able to provide for his Omega in such a way. "If you hate to cook, why do you keep offering to make me lunch?"

Eren froze at Levi's question, a piece of omelette halfway to his mouth. Blushing scarlet and happy the Alpha was behind him and unable to see, Eren muttered, "I want you to like me... Be all Omega like and shit... Plus it's really satisfying to me when you eat food I've made..." He put his fork down on the plate and hid his face in embarrassment.

Levi nosed behind Eren's ear, humming his appreciation, a little amusement underlying the tone, scenting Eren's vague embarrassment, "Mm, you don't gotta cook for me to like you. If you want to, that's fine, but don't feel obligated to do shit like that just 'cause it's the _Omega_ thing to do. I like to cook for you too. Maybe next date, we'll stay in and cook together?"

Eren turned his head to look at Levi, revealing his red face and bright green eyes. "I hate cooking... But I like cooking for _you_. You're special."

The Alpha bumped his forehead with Eren's in a display of playful affection that seemed natural and gave him a little squeeze around the middle. "I'm lucky then to get to eat the food you make for me. I don't know if I thanked you before, but I appreciated it," he murmured, pressing a kiss to the Omega's shoulder where the wide collar of the shirt had slid off and left the soft caramel skin on display.

"You're welcome," Eren said, nuzzling the man's face with his own. Frowning, he leant back, "Don't get used to it though... Not that I don't wanna cook for you... But I'll probably be drowning in work when I start... I kinda get focused and forget everything around me... You might even dump me ‘cause of it... Lord knows that's the reason I was dumped the last few times. Out of the people who were fine with me being infertile. The last guy gave me an ultimatum and obviously you can see what I chose," Eren rambled on, voicing his worries about neglecting Levi when work started.

The Alpha's brow furrowed slightly, "Don't sweat it sweetness. I'll see you, especially since I'll be working at your house. Maybe I'll just have to distract you from work the same way you distract me, hm?" he said, rubbing his hand along Eren's side soothingly, "And I'll make sure you're fed, how's that? You don't gotta worry so much about all this shit. You don't need to change for me."

"I wanna be good for you," Eren said, pushing the plate away, full and bursting from the amount of food he ate. "Please you... Make you happy," he said, turning his head to kiss Levi's neck, "So I can get that knot as much as possible." He smirked after revealing his motive. Although it was becoming clear to him that it might not be the only motive.

Levi hummed, tilting his head to give the Omega better access to his throat, reveling in the feel of soft lips against his skin. He set the empty plate aside on the night stand blindly before he settled both hands on Eren's waist and kneaded appreciatively. "Sweetness, I'm perfectly happy to give it to you whenever you want it. It's not as if I have a hope in hell of refusing. You're addictive," he murmured, turning his head a bit to be able to nuzzle back against the side of Eren's head.

"Good," Eren said before he suddenly tackled the Alpha into the bed, giggling and laughing as he attempted to tickle the man. He was giddy, pure happiness in his scent as he nipped Levi with his teeth wherever he could.

Levi grunted as he was tackled back onto his mattress and chuckled breathily as Eren began to nip at him playfully while trying to tickle him. "Mm, I'm not very ticklish sweetness. There's only one spot, and I'm definitely not telling you where it is. You know too many of my weaknesses already... But I bet you're ticklish, aren't you?" he said before he was suddenly flipping their positions, pinning the Omega beneath him and looking down at him with mischief in his mercury gaze.

"Hm, let's see, here?" he questioned as he snaked a hand under the borrowed shirt to tickle Eren's ribs and under his arm, a wicked little grin on his mouth, completely unopposed to playing with his Omega.

Eren squealed loudly, thrashing almost violently underneath the man as he was tickled mercilessly. "Yes," he screamed, trying to push Levi's hands away and failing, "I'm ticklish... Fuck..." He squirmed as he laughed, almost crying from Levi's attack. "Stop! Levi stop! You're gonna make me pee," Eren cried, still laughing, trying to shield his body from the onslaught of wiggling fingers.

The Alpha laughed as well, relenting and petting at Eren's sides instead, "Surrender and gimme a kiss and I'll show mercy," he said, tilting his head a little, tousled strands of raven hair framing his face as he looked down at the Omega with bright eyes, silver and white flecks dancing with affection and amusement.

"Mm..." Eren hummed, reaching up to cup Levi's face and pull him forward. At the last second, he used the Alpha’s movement to push him to the side and scramble out from underneath him. "Never," he cried, bolting around the bed to place it between them. He was grinning wildly, excited to have started a game of cat and mouse.

Levi fell back onto the bed, rolling onto his side and propping himself up on one arm, narrowing his eyes at the cheeky Omega. "You're forgetting one vital thing sweetness," he paused, a devilish grin pulling at his mouth. "I have back up. Nix, knock out," he commanded and the dog that had been sitting on his pillow watching the scene and wagging his tail immediately jumped up and bumped into the back of Eren's legs, toppling him forward as the Alpha lunged across the bed to grab him around the waist, laughing while Phoenix circled, barking and prancing. "Good boy Nix," Levi praised as he dragged Eren back onto the bed with him.

"That's cheating," Eren squealed as he tried to squirm from Levi's grip once again, but was unable. Levi flipped him over like the Omega weighed nothing and pinned Eren once again, this time, his borrowed green shirt riding up to reveal the nakedness underneath. Eren's chest heaved as he lay immobile, pouting, but grinning at the same time. "You win... You win," Eren said with a breathy laugh, out of tricks now that the Alpha was serious in holding him down. For extra measure, the Omega bared his neck to the Alpha, batting his eyelashes and letting out a wholly submissive scent that should be irresistible to the man.

Levi's eyelids drooped and his grin softened to one more lazy as the submissive scent and position of the Omega registered. His own scent rose up in response, victorious and excited with threads of affection, protectiveness, and arousal. His grip turned tender and he settled himself on top of the other male, burying his face in the Omega's bared neck, nipping and lapping at the sweet skin, claiming his spoils after winning the game. "Mm, you're so damn pretty like this," he murmured against the damp flesh, voice low and muffled.

Eren began to purr, threading his fingers in the Alpha's hair and curling his legs around the man's waist to cling to him. "Am I?" Eren asked, keeping his head turned and tilted so that his neck stayed bared for the Alpha. He didn't mind being more submissive, especially when it made Levi react like this. It felt like the Alpha _wanted_ to claim him with the way his scent smelled and his actions. But Eren pushed that thought aside. Levi said he wouldn't bond and Eren believed him. The man was probably being affected by his instincts like Eren was.

"Mhmm," the Alpha hummed his affirmation, nibbling and kissing his way along Eren's neck to his jaw, hands palming at his sides and hips. "Makes me wanna do all kinds of things for you princess sweetness," he breathed against smooth skin as he trailed his lips along the Omega's jawline to his chin and finally his lips. "I've never had an Omega quite like you."

"It's my ass. It's devil magic," Eren replied, dead panning. "You'll be hooked on me forever now. Sorry, not sorry," he teased, giving Levi's cheek a lick cheekily.

Levi chuckled, "Mm, you do have a great ass," he agreed, wriggling one hand under Eren to grope said ass.

Eren arched into the man's touch with a little "Ah" as his eyes fluttered closed. The man squeezed the voluptuous muscle as Eren made little noises. Opening one green eye, Eren warned, "If you keep that up, I'm gonna slick... Then you'll have to knot me."

"Oh hoh, I'll have to, will I? Such a demanding princess... If I keep knotting your pretty little ass, you're not going to be able to walk," the Alpha replied, still fondling Eren's rear. He nosed behind the Omega's ear, nipping at the soft lobe and murmuring huskily, "Tell me to stop..."

"I don't mind," Eren said, biting his lip as his scent became laced with arousal once again, "S'not so bad when there's someone to carry me." Eren shuddered and started to make little panting noises when Levi whispered in his ear. "Never," Eren breathed in defiance, not wanting Levi to ever stop.


	8. Measuring Distances

 

The Alpha growled deeply in response to the defiant words, hot breath washing over Eren's ear and stirring the fine hairs behind it. His fingers crept between the cheeks of Eren's ass as his cock became fully erect again. The Omega's body and the scent of his skin was like a drug and his voice and challenging personality made the Alpha's skin tingle with heat. It wasn't right to keep giving in to the instincts that seemed to be on overdrive whenever he was with Eren, and alarms were going off somewhere far back in his mind, but it felt too damn good to stop. And if he was honest, he didn't **want** to stop.

He rolled his hips into Eren's, "If I knot you again, you have to promise to let me work in peace when we finally make it to your place," he murmured, only half serious. He really should get further along with the yard, especially given all the new renovations Eren was adding to the list on the daily. And he liked seeing him light up when he saw the progress. It made Levi want to work harder for him, not that he didn't want to make him light up between the sheets just as well.

Eren whined in protest, squirming under the Alpha and not wanting to give into his demands. That would be _defeat_ and Eren hated losing. But Levi's fingers crept further, tracing his spasming hole and the Omega shuddered as slick formed once again. _Fuck..._

"Fine," Eren said almost angrily as he opened his eyes to glare at the Alpha, "I doubt my poor ass will be able to take it after this anyway. Better give it to me good, Alpha."

Levi licked his lips as he pulled away from Eren's neck to meet his gaze, teasing his fingertips again the slippery orifice. "Mm, I'll do it real gentle, nice and slow, don't want to break your fine ass before I've had my fill," he rumbled huskily before he licked a wide swath down Eren's throat to his collarbone and sucked a dark mark into his flesh. He rocked his hips with a slow, torturous roll, dipping his fingers into the other male's needy little hole with the motion.

"Hah..." Eren breathed in reply, frowning a little as he concentrated on the feeling of Levi's fingers on his sensitive and stinging hole. "Hurts a bit..." Eren warned and Levi's touch became even gentler, slowly moving in and out of him, "But feels good... Don't wanna stop..."

"Sure?" the Alpha questioned, sliding two fingers in and out at an incredibly slow pace, pressing them inside as deeply as possible and curling them to massage the pads of his fingertips against the Omega's sweet spot. Soft squelching sounds rose as he pleasured Eren, brow furrowed as he watched the other male's expression carefully, not wanting to hurt him. He'd trust Eren's word. If he didn't want to stop, Levi wouldn't but he refused to get too rough.

"Yeah, I'm sure... I can take it," Eren replied, still frowning, but his hips started to move in time with Levi's fingers. He winced a few times between moans though, and he could feel the Alpha starting to become reluctant to continue. He opened his eyes to look into Levi's, seeing concern in his expression. Eren's gaze became warm as he cupped Levi's cheek. "I like a little pain with my pleasure... Don't worry, Alpha, I won't lie to you. If it hurts too bad, I'll tell you and we'll stop," he said before he reached forward to kiss the Alpha, "You're so good to me... Taking care of me... I've never been with such a sweet Alpha before..."

"Mm, you'd better," the Alpha murmured before Eren kissed him and he slowly withdrew his fingers when Eren spoke further, breaking the kiss. He looked at him, eyes warm and dilated with arousal, scent settling over the Omega protectively. "Yeah, well, a lot of Alphas are idiots. They think Omegas should just deal with it, like it's part of your responsibility to take it or some shit. I don't believe in that shit. I like to fuck and I want my Omega to like to fuck too. It's not supposed to be an obligation and it's not supposed to be painful. Want you to want it again," he explained, voice rough and breathy as he shifted his hips back to pull his sweats down and release his cock, guiding it to the softened hole and pushing inside slowly, eyes closing and brow furrowing as he concentrated on keeping his pace, his hands kneading at Eren's thighs soothingly.

Eren's frown came back, reaching down to hold Levi's hips and control the pace at which the Alpha entered him. "Careful... Slow... Ah... Hah... Careful careful," Eren ordered, switching between gasping in pleasure, and grunting in pain. Even with the slick, the stretch was painful, but he was adjusting quickly, shocks of pleasure firing through his body. Finally, Levi was fully in him, their hips flush and Eren's vice like grip on the man's hips tightened as he said, "Give me a sec."

Eren breathed deeply, in through his nose and out from his mouth as he forced his body to relax. He didn't want to stop; it felt so good. If they were careful, he knew it wouldn't hurt. He just had to be patient with his body and allow it to adjust, already sensitive and sore from the roughness of their previous couplings.

"Okay, okay, okay, okay," Eren panted, feeling himself slick more and endorphins flowing through his veins to numb the pain like it would during a heat. He guided Levi's hips in a soft circular grinding motion, teasing his prostate within him and making him gasp. The Alpha was shaking above him, trying his hardest to hold back within the slick tight heat; wanting nothing more than to plow forward. It made the Omega want him even more that he would hold back.

"Okay Alpha... You can move now... Just go slow..." Eren said, running his hands soothingly up and down Levi's back.

Levi panted harshly, eyes opened to bare slits as he shook with the effort to remain still and slow, shifting his hips back when Eren gave his permission before rolling them forward in an almost lazy movement, groaning lowly. His hands smoothed and groped up and down the Omega's thighs as he moved, sweating as his muscles twitched, tensed and relaxed with his slow motions. It was hard to keep the pace so gentle, but it was worth every second. It felt so good inside Eren and he didn't want to stop, didn't want to hurt the Omega by being careless. He shuddered under the caress of Eren's fingers along his sweat slicked back and pressed desperate kisses to his mouth.

"Mm, Eren..." he murmured thickly, rocking and grinding into the slippery and sensitive little entrance, settling into a slow, gentle rhythm, pleasure building and climbing towards climax at a torturous, but delicious rate.

"Levi," Eren moaned, his toes curling as the Alpha moved slowly and gently into him. "Feels... G-good... So good... Levi... Ah... Good... F-fuck..." panted and writhed under the man's gentle movements. He lifted his head to capture Levi's mouth in a slow passion filled kiss, their tongues swirling together and driving Eren crazy. It was like sensory overload.

This sex was intimate... Way too intimate for a couple looking to keep things casual. Eren wouldn't call this fucking. They were making love and his instincts howled in pleasure, his scent rising to scream at the Alpha to claim him. He didn't even realize that he’d turned his head in submission once again; it was purely instinctual. His body was calling for Levi to bond and his brain was too blissed out to stop the actions.

Levi grunted breathlessly, inhaling the scent of the Omega's desire to be claimed deeply with every breath. His fingers gripped at Eren's hips, flexing and relaxing as he forced his own instinct to give in to the Omega's call down, burying his face in the other male's neck and mouthing over his glands in an poor mockery of claiming. Eren was so willing and so wanting and so fucking beautiful and maybe it wouldn't be so bad if he did claim him, but... What would happen when, like his father had with his mother, Levi would ruin things between them? It was in his blood. Somehow, some way, he was sure it would happen and Eren would... The Omega would want to break that bond and it would wreck him. He couldn't do that to him. He wouldn't. The resolve was enough to quell the instinct.

His hips stuttered a moment before returning to the slow motions and he shuddered violently, laboured breaths pouring against damp and kiss bruised flesh along the Omega's bared throat. He could feel the pressure building in the base of his cock, his knot beginning to inflate as he rolled his hips into Eren's, fighting to keep his pace and not lose his rhythm. "Hah... Fuck... Fuck... Eren... Can I...?" he panted, unable to properly voice his question.

Eren whined loudly like he was in pain when Levi's lips left his throat, his body protesting the loss. His eyes were almost entirely black, the barest sliver of green showing around the dilated pupils. Unable to answer verbally, Eren just nodded his head furiously to Levi's question. His body wanted the Alpha's knot badly, but it also wanted teeth buried deep in his neck. Eren wasn't in his right mind, high off of Alpha pheromones and an intense need to be claimed that he’d never felt before. It was a desperate **need**.

Levi shuddered again and bucked his hips with a little more force, burying his face against the Omega's neck once again, setting his teeth against Eren's throat with pressure too light to break the flesh and he made a sound he'd never made before. It was a low croon, pitched differently than he'd ever heard, husky and unintentional, responding to the desperation of the sounds Eren was making, meant to soothe the Omega. His scent hung in the air, heavy with possession and promise for something he refused to give. His knot pushed passed the fluttering ring of muscle and he arched a little as it flared further to lock him in place while he filled Eren with seed again, shivering and panting as he came. And it was as explosive as the first time it had happened, but in an entirely different way. It left him breathless and a strange ache throbbed inside of him, but he refused to analyze it further as his body quaked, still riding out his orgasm while his hands stroked reverently over Eren's thighs, hips, and sides.

When Levi spilled in him and his knot inflated, Eren orgasmed too, but it was painful like it was ripped from his body with force. He cried out as he shot over himself, white liquid coating his stomach and chest.

As soon as he was done, tears spilled out of his eyes and his breath hitched, chest stuttering and he felt like he couldn't breathe. The Omega was completely overwhelmed with feelings that contradicted each other; _pleasure... Pain... Happiness... Sadness... Confusion_. But ultimately he felt like he had been **rejected** which shouldn't be the case because he had been knotted. He **hadn't** been rejected. His Alpha was right there... He shouldn't feel this way.

"L-Levi," he choked out in panic, unsure what his body was doing and he started to cry harder, confused and upset and unwanted and he didn't even know **why**.

The Alpha reacted immediately, holding Eren tightly and crooning more, guilt washing through him because he knew whatever had just happened was his fault. Eren had offered him something precious and he'd stubbornly refused it. It was all instinct, but it didn't make it any less painful for either of them. It shouldn't be like that... It'd never been like that before. Just with this Omega, just with Eren.

"Shh, shh, I know... I'm sorry... I'm sorry, it's okay," he murmured, voice barely above a hoarse whisper as he attempted to comfort the obviously distressed Omega, his scent flaring unconsciously with protectiveness and he covered Eren with his body as best he could, unsure how else to comfort him. He held him tightly and stroked his hands over his skin and crooned and whispered things he wasn't even sure he understood, desperately trying to convey that everything was alright and would be alright. He hadn't meant to cause him this sort of upset. He had no clue what in the hell was happening.

"I-I'm... S-S-Sorry... I don't... I d-don't know what's wrong," Eren said hoarsely, rubbing his eyes furiously, trying to make the tears stop, but they just kept flowing. He whined, still panicking, so he grabbed Levi's hand to put on the back of his neck, "Scruff me please... I need to... I n-need to f-f-fucking c-calm down."

The Alpha's brow furrowed and his gaze was full of concern and lingering guilt as Eren pressed his hand against the nape of his neck and he didn't hesitate to massage it firmly, still rumbling croons and scenting the Omega as well. "Okay, it's okay... I got you," he breathed, shifting on top of Eren, slipping his other hand under the small of his back as he scruffed his nape.

"I'm sorry... Sorry... I'm sorry," Eren whimpered, his panic starting to fade and mortification starting to set in as the Alpha massaged his nape. He took a couple deep breaths, calming his shaking body. "Please don't be mad at me... I don't know what happened... It was just so intense... I'm sorry... My hormones and instincts are going crazy... I don't know why I'm crying," Eren babbled, his tears starting to flow from a raging river to a stream, his green eyes glowing with distress.

"Shh, sweetness, do I look mad to you? It's okay... You're okay... I got you. You don't need to be sorry. It's not your fault," the Alpha spoke quietly, tone soft and comforting and sincere. He wasn't angry, confused, guilty and aching in a completely unfamiliar way he'd never experienced before, but his concern for his Omega was the most prominent accompanied by the powerful instinct to put Eren at ease; there was no way he could focus on anything else at the moment. He could figure out his own shit later.

He hugged him and used the grip on the Omega's nape to draw Eren's face against his neck, hoping his scent would help to calm the other male further and assure him of his words. He'd meant them.

Eren breathed in the Alpha’s scent in gasping breaths, forcing himself to believe the pheromones that were trying to calm him. He held on to Levi tighter, like the man would slip from his grasp if he let up even just a little bit. “This is bullshit,” Eren whined, sniffling and angry at himself. He thought he should write a book on 'How to ruin a good night of fucking'. "My instincts are telling me you don't want me… But you're fucking knotted to me right now. I've never broken down like this before. I'm gonna book a doctor’s appointment or some shit and get my hormones tested. I'm so sorry Levi. I swear I'm not fucked up… I seriously don't know what happened. Like it felt so good… Must of been a sensory overload that sent me into a panic attack,” Eren mumbled, trying to convince Levi and himself. He had no idea that his body had asked for a bond and Levi had rejected it.

Levi heaved a heavy sigh and carefully rolled the both of them over, wrapping his arms around the Omega tightly, stroking his hair and back soothingly, the motion as calming to himself as he hoped it was to the other male. There was a niggling understanding in the back of his head; he'd rejected Eren. Knotted or not, he'd refused to bond the Omega when he'd been begging for it. Their compatibility was causing overactive instincts to tie the two of them together. It was alright... They would eventually settle down, they would... Maybe they just needed to slow down and spend at least a few hours apart to clear their heads.

Instinct could be a bitch. His own were bitching at him for refusing the Omega when Eren was obviously willing, absolutely no regard for how **Levi** felt about bonding. Completely irrational, illogical, and selfish primal yearnings that had never reacted so strongly previously were battering at him, arguing between themselves and the Alpha's consciousness.

He wet his lips and gave Eren a squeeze, "It's alright. It's all instincts... We'll be alright once they settle down," he assured though he wasn't entirely sure who he was trying to convince.

Eren sniffled a few times and buried his face in the Alpha’s neck, hiding himself from the partner he was tied to. "Maybe I'm even more defective than I thought I was," Eren said to himself in a horrified whisper, forgetting that Levi would be able to hear him.

The Alpha's brows pinched together and he frowned as he heard the muffled words of self deprecation and he used one hand to coax the Omega's face from his neck so that he could meet his gaze. "Hey, look at me... Don't say shit like that. You aren't fucking defective. Whatever this is, it isn't just you... I feel weird too. If anyone's at fault, it's probably me," he said firmly, perfectly willing to take the blame for Eren's unexpected reaction because he knew he'd been the cause even if the Omega didn't realize what had actually taken place, Levi **knew**. If he hadn't such a deep seeded fear of turning out just like his shitty father and wrecking any bond he ever had with an Omega, he probably would have given into the call Eren had put out and he was sure the brunette didn't remember even putting out that call in the first place. Any other Alpha likely would have claimed him, but Levi wasn't any other Alpha and even with his resolve, it had been difficult to fight off the instinct to accept. It had been much harder because it was Eren, but at the same time, his fear had been that much more prominent. Eren wasn't just some Omega.

"Okay..." Eren said, feeling better when Levi said he felt weird too, "Thanks." He nuzzled into Levi's face and gave the man an affectionate kiss. "It was really good before I freaked out though... Sex with you is so damn intense... You've literally made me into a cock slut..." Eren said, his cheeky smile returning, albeit shakily.

Levi's lips quirked up into a small grin, "Mm, for me too. You're some kinda addiction sweetness," he murmured in response, caressing his fingertips up and down Eren's spine and rubbing his nose alongside the Omega's. And he _was_ some kind of addiction. He'd never felt such a powerful pull to an Omega before and being with Eren was as intoxicating and euphoric as any drug.

Eren giggled, and sniffed a few more times before he wiped the tears from his eyes; they finally had stopped flowing. "We should probably take a break from sex... For at least a day... I don't wanna freak out on you again..." Eren said honestly, giving Levi's nose a kiss, "Give our hormones a break... Gonna be hard to resist though..."

The Alpha lowered his lashes, "Probably... Give your ass a rest too... I'd kiss it better for you, but I think it'd result in you being more sore in the end," he said, smile broadening though he felt an odd sense of disappointment that seemed senseless. "Doesn't mean we can't have another date though, right?" he questioned nonchalantly, though it was more to placate himself and calm the weird feeling in his guts.

"Yeah..." Eren nodded his head enthusiastically. The thought of being away from his Alpha was enough to make him cry again so there was no point in hiding his eagerness. "I don't wanna go out though... I just wanna be alone with you," Eren said, biting his lip worriedly, "Movie night? I have a ton of DVDs. Or Netflix. Or we could go rent something. Or buy something. I don't really care..." His voice trailed off, hoping that the Alpha wouldn't oppose. Eren felt strangely vulnerable and the idea of being around other Alphas, Betas and Omegas was enough to make him scream. He needed to squirrel Levi away, where the man wouldn't be able to find another partner, but himself. Eren tried to swallow the emotions down, but he couldn't shake his sudden and all encompassing insecurity.

Levi hummed and nodded, settling his hands on Eren's lower back, fingertips massaging at the dimples above his tailbone. "Sounds good. We can stay in and make something to eat and watch whatever you want. I'm not picky. Mm, the real question is my place or yours?" The Alpha agreed without argument, perfectly pleased to keep Eren all too himself and let the Omega monopolize his time for the moment. He wasn't all that keen to be out either, especially after the run in with Erwin; he didn't want to know how he might react to something like that happening again when he had such weird feelings knotted in the pit of his stomach. He needed to sort them out, but he didn't want to be too far away from the Omega for any real length of time. Stupid instincts...

"I don't care either way," Eren said with a shrug, rubbing his face over the man's scent gland and marking himself further without realizing he was doing it. "You pick," he added, his face now covered with the slick oil of Levi's citrus and sea salt scent, "I don't wanna. You be in control tonight. Princess Sweetness relinquishes her command."

Levi stretched under him and tilted his head to the side to allow the Omega to mark himself, perfectly content with the motions, continuing to massage his back comfortably and smiling in response to the Omega's words. "We'll come back here then sweetness. That way, I don't have to worry about Nix. I'd bring him to your place, but the yard isn't finished enough yet."


	9. Low Maintenance

Levi pulled a few albums of photos from previous jobs and gave them to Eren before they'd gone back to the Omega's home for the afternoon, which thankfully kept him busy while the Alpha worked on the yard. He went to the hardware store and picked up the stone and more lumber as well as put in the order for the lattice work he would be using soon enough. He built the railings and steps for the deck and filled in the flowerbeds with the dark mulch before the day was over.

Surprisingly, the Omega didn't come to find him, but Levi went inside to seek him out, finding him curled up with his laptop and the albums spread around him. He helped him put them away before they went back to Levi's place.

Movie night with the Omega was a relaxing affair that turned into several more nights like it, dinner out, take out, and home cooked meals along with intense bouts of sex that regularly resulted in hours of pillow talk while tied together. There weren't any repeats of their strange near bonding and things settled into an easy routine; it was all so natural. Before he'd realized it, one week had turned into two and Eren had started work.

Eren's yard was nearly finished. He'd strung the lights and built the day bed and spent the last day building the patio set Eren had purchased while Phoenix galloped around the Omega's yard, obviously pleased to have been invited along with his master to the Omega's home rather than being left behind as was usual while Levi went to work.

It was late afternoon with the sun high and hot when Eren finally got home from work that day. He was tired and stressed as he parked his shiny black Tesla in his driveway beside Levi's truck and got out as he yanked his tie loose. Today was Friday, so he dressed more casual; wearing a thin light green sweater over a white collared shirt with grey slacks. He put his Ray Bans on his head as he made his way to the back gate to greet his Alpha.

Music was filtering through the yard as the Alpha built the table and chairs whilst trying to keep Phoenix off the deck. The dog finally seemed to get the hint and instead had gone to snoop through the back garden, chasing squirrels and birds and barking like a fiend. Levi was too busy to notice when Phoenix began to roll around on the freshly watered mulch and dirt near the new stone bird bath Levi had installed, effectively turning his white fur a _lovely_ shade of grey brown.

He glanced up and smiled in greeting when he heard the back gate and saw his Omega stepping into the yard. Phoenix also noticed and came bolting towards Eren with no regard for how dirty he was.

Phoenix came barreling towards Eren, wagging his tail furiously with excitement as he ran. Seeing how dirty the dog's white fur was, Eren immediately took a step back and put up his hands. "Phoenix, you silly dog," he said with a laugh, "You're filthy... Oh no... Don't you dare..." The Omega tried to side step the pup, but ultimately was taken down, painted brown by the dirt on Nix's paws and fur and licking the Omega with oblivious happiness. "Nix!" Eren cried out as the big goof covered his face in slobber while Eren laughed, "Now I'm all dirty!" Phoenix loved Eren quite a bit, but didn't seem inclined to listen to commands from the Omega; he was Levi's dog through and through.

The whole scene happened in slow motion for Levi and he jumped up, dropping the screwdriver he'd been using. "Nix! Manners!" he ordered, hopping off the porch to go over and help the downed and now dirt stained Omega up from the ground. "Fuck's sake... Sorry sweetness," he apologized while his dog laid on the ground, looking forlorn for having been scolded in **that** tone.

Eren just laughed as he was helped up from the ground, picking up his sunglasses, then trying to wipe some of the dirt off his clothing. The action just smeared the dirt and made it look worse. "Nah, it's fine... It's just clothes and I needed a laugh after the day I've had," Eren assured, giving up on his sweater to wave a hand dismissively at Levi, "He's just excited. I need to give him more attention when I can since I've been so busy with work..."

Looking at Nix, who was now showing his belly in apology, Eren put his hands on his hips. "What are we gonna do with you, Mister? Can't leave you like that," Eren said in a scolding baby voice.

Levi ran a hand through his hair and shook his head, a lopsided grin on his lips, "You spoil him. It's no wonder he never listens to you," he said as he watched the dog rolling around on his back before the Omega. "You got any shampoo that's organic? We can give him a bath," he suggested, "Maybe you should change first too."

"I can't say no to this face," Eren said, squatting to pet Nix vigorously on the belly. Standing up, he stretched before he leaned over to kiss Levi on the cheek and said, "’Kay! I'll be right back." He made his way into the house, slipping off his shoes at the back entrance and went to his room. He threw off his clothes and put them in the hamper and put on a pair of baggy black basketball shorts and a think pink tank top. Next, he searched his bathroom for some organic shampoo and googled on his phone to see if it was safe for dogs as he walked back out to the backyard.

"Found some," Eren said, waving the bottle as he put on his flip flops and went back out into the backyard.

Levi was turning on the hose as Eren came back outside. He smiled and wiped his hands on the back of his grey camo cargo shorts that were riding low on his hips, a strip of pale midriff and lower back visible where his tight sleeveless black top had ridden up a bit. He waved the Omega over, pulling him in for a kiss before he was pointing at the dog that was idly lounging on the grass, tongue lolling out the side of his mouth as he panted happily, oblivious to what was about to take place.

"Alright, I'll hold him down while you scrub him," Levi said, outlining the plan of attack with a little grin.

"Does he not like baths?" Eren asked as he crept slowly to the lounging pup.

“It's not that he doesn't like them... He thinks it's a game," Levi said as he circled around in the opposite direction, casually stepping over to Phoenix and crouching down. He pet the dog and loved on him as if that was all he was planning on doing before he was curling his hand around the collar at Phoenix's neck, "Good boy Nix," he cooed while he gave the Omega a look, gaze flickering to the hose and then back to Eren, the dog effectively lulled into a state of oblivious relaxation, leaning against Levi and panting heavily.

While Levi distracted Phoenix, Eren slowly bent over to pick up the hose and quickly hid it behind his back. Walking forward, he smiled and acted innocent as Nix looked from Levi to Eren. In a blur of motion, Eren whipped the hose around and pressed on the nozzle, spraying the dog with the cold water.

Phoenix yelped and immediately tried to escape Levi's grasp, attempting to shake off the water whilst rubbing against the Alpha and twisting to get out of his hold on his collar. He nearly knocked Levi over, but the Alpha managed to steady himself as he grabbed at his dog with both hands, shaking his head as he ended up as wet as Phoenix. "See what I mean?" he questioned as Phoenix pawed at him and butted his head against Levi's chest, nipping at the Alpha's clothes and tugging playfully before whipping around to try and bite the spray of water from the hose.

Eren laughed, holding the hose up higher where Nix couldn't reach it and continued to drench the pup. The dog kept shaking it's fur, soaking the Omega and the Alpha as well. Dropping the hose, Eren opened up the shampoo, vanilla scented like all of his bath products, and started squeezing a generous amount on the wet fur of Nix's back. "Hold him steady so I can lather him," Eren ordered as he began the arduous task of scrubbing Phoenix's thick fur.

"Easier said than... Shit, Nix, quit it," Levi cursed as Phoenix finally succeeded in knocking him over onto his ass, though he managed to keep a hold of the dog's collar, face scrunching as the wet dog attempted to climb into his lap and slobbered all over his face, covering Levi with dirt and drenching him further.

"Yeah! Get him Nix," Eren laughed brightly, as he knelt beside the two and started working in the soap as fast as he could while Levi distracted the pup. Nix's fur was thick, so Eren was running his hands through it as he dumped more and more soap in places that needed it.

Levi grunted as the large dog bumped against him, effectively covering the Alpha in as much of the suds as the Omega was covering Phoenix in. Levi wiped his hair back with one hand while holding Phoenix's collar with the other. "Don't excite him more!" he complained as the dog shoved him back onto the ground, standing over the Alpha and shaking out water and soap from his fur, sending a spray over both Levi and Eren, looking for all the world like he was playing the most entertaining game of his life.

"I do what I want," Eren replied, struggling to scrub the dog's fluffy ass while Phoenix's tail was wagging and hitting him in the face. "God... Damn it Nix... Hold still... You... Adorable bastard!" Eren said through gritted teeth, feeling like he was more covered in soap than the dog was.

Levi laughed, unable to help it when the Omega got a face full of tail only to choke and make a disgusted sound seconds after when Phoenix very nearly managed to lick the inside of his mouth. "Disgusting," he groused as he wiped the back of his arm over his mouth before grabbing at the hose to begin rinsing the monstrous dog clean of suds, a devious little smirk forming on his lips as his eyes danced with mischief, pointing the nozzle at the Omega instead.

Eren jumped and squealed when he was blasted in the face with a spray of cold water. "You asshole!" the Omega yelled as he scooted back on the grass, trying to cover his face and body with his hands as he was being soaked with water. He managed to get up to his feet, slipping on the wet grass as he ran from Levi who was grinning and still pelting him with water from the hose.

Levi let go of Phoenix whom immediately chased after Eren, barking and jumping and shaking off water and remnants of soap as he moved. The Alpha laughed and got to his feet, attempting to spray both the dog and the Omega in the rear as Eren tried to escape. "Hey come on, I'm only trying to help you out sweetness," he called, moving to cut the Omega off, dropping the hose and catching him when Phoenix got in the way and knocked Eren off his feet, sending the both of them tumbling onto the wet grass while the dog circled around them excitedly.

The Alpha took the brunt of the impact, grinning roguishly up at Eren as he sprawled under him, hands gravitating to the Omega's rear. His mercury eyes danced with mirth and affection as he looked up at Eren, tousled and damp raven hair falling around his face in disarray, cheeks a little flushed from exertion.

"I hate you," Eren whined, trying to push his damp hair out of his face. He sat up, straddling the Alpha and took his soaked shirt and wrung it out, right over Levi's face, dousing the man in cold water. "See? Not very nice now is it," Eren said, trying to keep his grumpy pout on his face, but failing as a smile broke through.

Levi grimaced and sputtered as the water rained down on his face. He smacked Eren's ass cheek with one hand as punishment. "You little shit," he growled, before he was flipping them over, ignoring Phoenix as the dog circled around them, barking and hopping about like a lunatic. He pinned the Omega and leaned over him to speak against his ear, nibbling at the moist lobe, "Say you hate me again, I dare you."

Eren's eyes flashed with fire as a wicked smile spread across his face, ignoring the sting on his ass as electricity seemed to start to flow through his body. "Yeah? You dare me?" Eren asked, his back arching off the ground to press against the man above him, " _I hate you_... Whatchya gonna do about it, Alpha?"

Levi growled lowly and nipped harshly under Eren's ear. "That's not very nice Omega... I ought to teach you a lesson," he murmured against the damp flesh of the Omega's neck as his hands crept up Eren's sides, preparing to flip him over, "Should give you a spanking."

Eren squirmed in protest, wiggling under Levi's body. "You can'tttttt," Eren said with a whiny voice, "You'll make me all horny and then we'll have to do something about it and we gotta finish hosing Nix off and I'm hungry and I'm tired and I want cuddles and nooooooo."

Levi smirked, nibbling a path along the Omega's neck to his collarbone, lapping up the beaded water there, murmuring teasingly, "Mmn, I dunno if you deserve cuddles. I don't think I should cuddle or cook for Omegas that claim to hate me." He rubbed his hands up and down Eren's sides, settling them on his plump hips and giving them a firm squeeze.

Eren pouted for a moment before he smiled warmly up at Levi. Placing his palm on Levi's cheek the Omega conceded, "Fine... I don't hate you... I like you a lot... Please cuddle me and feed me Alpha..." He lifted his head to give the man a sweet kiss. "I had a shit day... And I missed you the whole time," he said when he pulled back from the kiss.

Levi hummed into the kiss appreciatively, giving the hips in his hold another affectionate squeeze, "Mm, that's more like it," he said as Eren broke the kiss. He pulled back and helped Eren up to his feet before he caught Phoenix again to finish rinsing him off. "Why was your day so shitty sweetness?" he asked, looking at the Omega over the dog, brows furrowing.

Eren grabbed the hose and started rinsing off the rest of the dog's fur as Levi held him before he answered. "I don't get Alphas," Eren said, voice sounding like it was the beginning of a rant, "I go to work drenched in your scent every day and they still won't let me work in peace. I've already gone to HR a number of times, but they won't do anything. I have the power to fire these people... But they are really good at what they do... It's tough being the bigger person all the time." As he ranted, he made sure to gently rinse off the last of Nix's fur then walked to the side of the house to turn the hose off. "And today, someone from the legal department... Big asshole Alpha named Reiner... He wouldn't let me work until I took his number. Like what the actual fuck. So unprofessional. And I couldn't even refuse because he said it was for work and I have no authority over him, which is total bullshit! He could just email me like the rest of my workers," Eren said with a huff, stamping his foot and crossing his arms.

Levi growled low in his throat, "Stupid shits. You want me to come take you out for lunch or something? Maybe they'll get the hint if they see who's Omega they're screwing with," he suggested, irritated by Eren's words. Was his scent seriously not enough? What the fuck was wrong with the shit heads working with Eren? As if he needed to have a damn bonding mark for the lot of them to lay off...

He ran a hand through his hair and directed Phoenix up onto the deck to dry off. The dog shook off before flopping over in the sun, clearly exhausted from his romping around the yard and the impromptu bath the couple had given him. The Alpha cracked his knuckles idly before he was reaching out for his Omega, "Sorry your day was such shit sweetness. Let's go get cleaned up. You can soak in the tub while I make us some dinner."

Eren immediately went to Levi and folded himself in the Alpha's arms for a hug. "That might be a good idea, but I'm not sure it would work. It's just frustrating for me..." Eren said nosing into Levi's neck for comfort, "The other unbonded Omegas in the office are fine with the attention. They even welcome it. But I'm their _boss_ even if I'm an Omega. I just wanna do my job without someone trying to blow me over with scent, or scenting me, or even trying to touch me familiarly. I don't like it at all." He sighed and let go of Levi before he headed towards the back doors. Before he went inside, he looked over his shoulder and gave Levi a warm smile, "Thanks Alpha. It's nice having someone there for me."

Levi followed the Omega up the steps, inclining his head in response to Eren's gratitude. "Don't mention it. I don't mind. It's all part of being your temporary Alpha," he said, finding the term less than pleasing for some reason even as he said it. He didn't like it, the fact that other Alphas were acting so familiarly with his Omega. They shouldn't be scenting him and they damn well should be keeping their hands to themselves.

He followed Eren to his room, slipping into the bathroom to run the bath for Eren before stripping off his own clothes and quickly wiping himself down before drying off, tossing his soiled clothing in the hamper, scrubbing at his damp hair with a corner of the towel as he sauntered back out of the bathroom to retrieve some sweats from the drawer that had been designated as his in Eren's dresser.

Eren immediately slapped the man's naked ass as he sauntered by him to get to the dresser. Before the Alpha could retaliate, Eren slid into the bathroom and slammed the door shut.

Levi shook his head, looking at the closed door and rubbing the sting out of his ass cheek before he shimmied into his sweats and hung his towel on the hook on the bathroom door as well on his way out of the room.

He went into the kitchen, maneuvering around with familiar ease, taking out ingredients and cooking implements to prepare the chicken Parmesan he'd planned for the evening, humming along with the music filtering in from the backyard through the open windows while he cooked.

Eren got in the bath with a smile, thinking how cute it was that the man knew to start the water for him. But this time it was a short bath; just enough to scrub himself clean and warm up from being sprayed by cold water. Usually the Omega took super long baths, but he wanted to be with his Alpha who was making him food. He dried off quickly and threw on some leggings and a gigantic green sweater. He had made a point to wear green as much as possible since it was Levi's favourite colour.

Hair still damp, he made his way to kitchen where the smell of a home cooked meal began to waft through the house. "Whatchya making?" Eren asked Levi as he leaned on the island and watched as the man worked around the kitchen.

Levi glanced over his shoulder at the Omega with a smile, giving the simmering sauce another stir before he spooned some up and turned towards Eren. He blew on the spoonful of red sauce before he offered it to the Omega, "Have a taste sweetness, I'm making chicken parm."

Opening his mouth, Eren tasted the sauce on the spoon and hummed. "It's delicious," Eren said with a smile before he licked his lips, "You didn't have to make something so fancy for me though."

Levi's smile broadened and he set the spoon back into the sauce and stirred the noodles boiling in the pot next to the sauce. "It's hardly fancy. It's not even hard to make. And even if it was, you're worth it princess," he said, casting a wink over his shoulder at the Omega before he bent to check the breaded chicken baking in the oven.

Once he'd checked everything over, he slipped around the counter to scent his Omega, immediately wanting to replace his scent on Eren after it had been washed away. He rubbed his hands up and down his sides from behind and pressed his lips against the back of Eren's neck. "You look pretty tonight," he complimented, pressing more kisses along the nape of the Omega's neck affectionately and inhaling his scent deeply.

Eren purred and shivered at the delicate touch of the Alpha as the man marked him once again. "Why do you say that?" he asked, turning his head to look at the man holding him from behind. He wanted to know what specifically attracted the man to him tonight, so that he could repeat it as much as possible.

The Alpha chuckled, "You look soft... More comfortable than usual. And the colour brings out your eyes, but you know that already, don't you?" He leaned back and slipped his hands up the back of Eren's sweater to massage along his back to his shoulders, soothing out the leftover tension from the day.

"I _may_ have dressed strategically. If I'm soft, you'll cuddle me more," Eren said before he leaned back into Levi's touch, soothing his tense muscles. "Mmmm that feels good," he said dreamily with a sigh, "You're so good to me, Alpha."

Levi hummed, digging his thumbs firmly into the muscle at the base of the other male's neck, working out the knots with soothing circular motions. "Mm, s'what princesses deserve. You had a shit day. My job to make sure your night's better, hm?" he murmured smoothly, leaning in over Eren's back again, to press kisses to his shoulder.

"Fuck yeah," Eren hissed, as the man massaged close to the nape of his neck. His head lolled to the side as he moaned, putty in Levi's hands as his scent rose, urging the Alpha to continue.

"You like that Omega?" Levi asked huskily, eyes drooping as Eren's scent rose thickly and his own spiked, mingling familiarly, pleased to make his Omega feel good and relaxed after he'd had such a rough day. "These are the only hands that should be on you," he said possessively, still massaging and pressing himself against Eren's back.

"Mm... Then come show the Alphas at work who I belong to," Eren said jokingly as his head fell forward and he braced himself against the counter so he wouldn't fall over. The Alpha was hitting every spot and he was turning into a puddle of goo. It felt amazing.

Levi chuckled and nosed against the side of Eren's neck, nipping at the flesh softly, "Maybe I will," he replied, lips ticklish against the Omega's neck before he was drawing away. He slipped his hands down Eren's spine and spent a couple drawn out seconds massaging there before he squeezed his hips and removed them entirely. "Dinner's ready sweetness," he said as he slipped away from the Omega, "I'll finish your massage after we eat, get to that cuddling, hm?"

Eren whined unhappily when Levi moved away from him, but was pleased by the prospect of food. "I'm starving," Eren said, standing up straight and clutching his grumbling stomach. He walked over to the cupboard and pulled out plates then grabbed some utensils from a drawer. He set them on the island and sat down, waiting for his Alpha to serve the food.

Levi grabbed Eren's plate first and assembled the steaming meal on it, bed of noodles, little sauce, breaded chicken breast, little more sauce and topped the whole thing with fresh parm and a smattering of fresh chopped basil before he set it in front of Eren and repeated the process with his own. He seated himself next to the Omega and tilted his head, watching Eren from beneath his lashes.

Eren scooped up a large forkful of food, managing to get a bit of everything and shoved it in his mouth. Chewing, he groaned, making happy eating noises before he looked at Levi and said, "This is fucking amazing. You should just stay naked and cooking in my house at all times. I think that would make me happy." He was only half joking as he continued to shovel food into his mouth and eat as fast as he could. The Omega wanted to get back to that massage asap.

Levi grinned, amusement and pride dancing in his eyes as he watched Eren eat for several moments. "I'm sure it would sweetness. You _would_ be the type of Omega to keep a house Alpha," he chuckled, reaching to ruffle the back of Eren's hair affectionately before he pulled away and began to eat his own meal.

It didn't take long for them to finish eating and once they had, Levi tidied up the kitchen and dishes and let Phoenix inside. He fed the dog some kibble that he'd brought with him and gave him a bowl of water before he was tugging Eren to his feet. "Living room or bedroom?" he asked as he pulled the Omega into his arms comfortably.

"Bedroom," Eren said, bouncing with excitement, "I just got these new sheets I thought you'd like. They are bamboo and like so fucking soft." Eren ended up dragging Levi down the hall and to his bedroom where he showed off the forest green sheets that he'd forgotten to gush about when they were in the room last. He doubted the Alpha had noticed the change, but maybe he would care if Eren said he got them specifically for the him, which he had. It was definitely an impulse buy.

Levi slid his hands around Eren's waist as the Omega showed him the new bedding and hummed his approval. "You bought them for the two of us, huh? Mm, they're nice," he said, smiling against Eren's shoulder as he gave him a little squeeze, not oblivious to the amount of green the Omega had been acquiring lately. It was rather endearing to think that Eren was doing it because he knew it was Levi's favourite. "You're going to look beautiful spread across them," he murmured close to the Omega's ear, tone low and sultry.

"Am I now? Let's see," Eren said, pulling away from Levi's arms to flop onto the bed on his belly. He turned onto his side, with one leg pulled up to show off his ass as he posed for Levi, sprawled languidly across the sheets. "Do I look as beautiful as you imagined?"

Levi's mercury gaze crawled over Eren with slow appreciation and he licked his lips unconsciously. "Mm, better than I imagined sweetness," the Alpha said breathily, pupils half dilated and scent heavy in the air. He slipped onto the bed, kneeling on the mattress and running one hand up the Omega's leg to grope his displayed rear before slipping it up further, bunching up the soft material of Eren's sweater and bowing over to press kisses along his hip and side while his hands began to massage at the other male's skin once again.

"Ahh," Eren cooed, his face falling to the mattress at Levi's gentle kisses and rubs. "You're like... Super good at this... How come you haven't given me a massage before? Holding out on me Alpha?" Eren rambled in a hazy voice, arching into the man's touch as his thumbs dug into the dimples on the Omega's lower back. His leggings left nothing to the imagination so his round bubble butt was on perfect display now that his giant sweater was pulled up; Levi was getting quite the view.

Levi pressed kisses to the Omega's shoulders and the back of his neck, nuzzling against him and scenting him lazily. He smoothed his thumbs and fingers to either side of Eren's tailbone. "'Course not. Just hadn't realized how much you needed a massage sweetness," the Alpha murmured behind the Omega's ear as he carefully straddled Eren's ass, half hard from the sight and sound of him, but he didn't do much more that rest his crotch against that perfectly plump backside while his palms pressed to either side of the Omega's spine with gentle kneading pressure.

Eren felt Levi press against him, and wiggled his butt back against the man to tease. It was half-hearted though because all he could focus on was the Alpha's nimble fingers pressing on his spine. "Ah... Fuck... S'good," Eren said with a sigh, muffled from his face being pressed into the mattress. The man suddenly pressed down hard, almost to the point that it was painful and Eren's spine cracked in several places. All Eren could do now was make random noises as he almost began to drool; he was becoming so relaxed.

The Alpha smiled, kneading along either side of Eren's spine, alternating pressure and smoothing his hands over soft skin. He hummed as he rocked a bit, sitting on the backs of the Omega's thighs so that he could press against Eren's lower back over his tailbone. "Feel better sweetness?" he asked huskily, pleased with the near boneless state of his Omega.

Eren lifted his head from the mattress and turned to look at Levi with a lazy smile and half lidded eyes. "Yes... A lot better... Cuddles now?" he asked, trying to turn his body underneath the Alpha.

Levi nodded, a soft smile curving his lips as he slipped to the side of the Omega. He flopped down onto the mattress and opened his arms to Eren.

The Omega dove into his Alpha's arms, and reached over him to the side table to grab a remote to turn on the TV. He was pretty sure he would fall asleep immediately, but he didn't know if Levi was tired, so the man could watch whatever he wanted while Eren clung to him and slept.

They stayed wound together all night, and that was the first day they didn't have sex at all since they'd gotten together. It wasn't a bad thing and it didn't mean they were less aroused by each other; it was just the urgency was starting to decline, replaced by affectionate familiarity. The Alpha and Omega were becoming comfortable with each other, spending all their free time together. Neither of them brought up the fact that their relationship didn't seem very casual.


	10. Sanding Edges

The next morning, they had intense sex to make up for the day before, and once Levi's knot went down, Eren was scrambling to leave to get to work on time. He ran out of the house and forgot many of the important documents he needed for his two pm meeting.

Eren texted Levi frantically.

**Eren:**   
_LEVI LEVI LEVI LEVI LEVI HOLY SHIT I NEED A FUCKING FAVOUR LIKE RIGHT NOW!!!_

Levi pulled his phone out of the pocket of his light denim jeans wiping his dusty hands on his thighs and pushing his sunglasses onto his head to see the screen as he ran his thumb over it to unlock it. He was setting up a few more odds and ends in the Omega's yard and tending to the garden while Phoenix lounged in the sun on the deck. He scratched at his belly beneath his black stretchy tank top while he read over the message and typed his response.

**Levi:**   
_Sure sweetness. What's up?_

**Eren:**   
_You know those papers on the dining room table we screwed on this morning? I forgot to grab them and I really really super duper need them at work. If you bring them to me, I will be your slave and do anything you want... Pleasseeeeeee help meeeeeeee!! All you have to do is come to my building and go up to the 14th floor!! I'll be waiting_

Levi chuckled, already stepping up the deck steps and letting himself inside, seeing the papers in question.

**Levi:**   
_I'm going to hold you to that. Be there soon princess._

He collected the papers, tucking them under his arm while he pulled his keys out of his pocket. He left through the back door and out the side gate to his truck.

It didn't take all that long to reach the Omega's workplace and he looked at the time as he made his way inside the tall, sleek building to meet Eren.

Meanwhile, Eren paced in his office, trying to remain calm as he waited for Levi to bring the documents. He should have never brought them home when he didn't even work on them, but he had been optimistic last week and then completely forgotten about them. Finally the phone on his desk rang.

He ran to the phone and picked it up. "Eren Jaeger," he answered.

"Hello Mr. Jaeger, there is a Levi Ackerman here to see you?"

Eren let out a harsh breath that he didn't know he was holding. "Yes, send him up." He hung up the phone, left his office, and made his way through the open floored department to the elevators to await Levi's arrival.

Levi smiled charmingly at the receptionist and inclined his head in thanks before he slipped to the elevator, steel toed work boots heavy against the faux marble flooring. He grinned pleasantly at every suited person that glanced his way, their judgement obvious. Like he didn't belong there. His bank account probably had more in it than some of them, but still they looked at him like he was some kind of bug. It made him want to laugh.

When the elevators opened to reveal a smiling, laid back Levi in his work clothes holding the important papers, Eren almost screamed in joy. "Thank you, thank you, thank you," he said, rushing to Levi and hugging the man, nuzzling into him for a fresh scent mark. He was the head of the whole department so he didn't really care how it looked and he ignored all the turned heads and interested whispers.

Letting go of the man and taking the papers, Eren moved through the room to reach his assistant, Sasha's, desk, a female Beta that couldn't stop eating if she tried. He was distracted now, focused on work so he didn't even notice that Levi was following close behind him.

The office was a large, open space, with antique wood flooring, large bay windows, black metal furniture, and an arching ceiling. It was made to look like the inside of a restored factory floor with a large set of couches at one end for clients and white boards pinned with all sorts of projects. Eren had the only closed off office in the whole place, located towards the back while his workers were situated on the metal desks around the floor.

"Sasha!" Eren exclaimed, almost shoving the papers into the girl’s hands, "I need you to call Reiner and tell him I have the papers he needs to look over before the meeting." He bent over her desk, showing her the important information she needed to relay. All the Alphas with desks close to Eren's assistant immediately stopped what they were doing to enjoy the view of their superior.

Levi looked around the office with some interest, gaze narrowing when his Omega bent over and all Alphas in the general vicinity stopped to gawk. The Alpha crossed his arms over his chest, nostrils flaring with irritation while his scent rose around where he was standing a few feet from Eren and his assistant; possessive, dominant and warning. His jaw twitched as he grit his teeth, forcing the growl that threatened to escape his throat down, shifting his weight restlessly. They had some fucking nerve to be ogling his Omega while they damn well knew Eren belonged to him.

The young brown haired assistant listened to Eren intently, only glancing at Levi a few times before she tightened her ponytail and started drafting an email for her boss. Eren stood up straight with a big sigh and stretched, turning around to acknowledge Levi once again.

"You really saved my ass," he said to the man with a smile, popping a hip as he leaned to one side.

"This your Alpha, boss?" Sasha asked, although her eyes were still trained on her computer as she typed.

Eren glanced at her and said with a shrug, "Well it's pretty damn obvious. I smell more like him than I do myself."

Sasha glanced up from her work and smirked before she shoved the rest of a bagel in her mouth and continued to bang away at the keyboard.

Levi cocked his head, a little arrogant smirk curving the corner of his mouth as Eren answered the woman's question and his silver gaze ran up and down the other male's body as Eren stood a few feet from him. "You're welcome sweetness. What time's your lunch break? Might as well take you out since I'm here," he said, not bothering to introduce himself to Eren's absorbed assistant, taking a step closer to the Omega.

"Sweetness," repeated Sasha with a snicker and Eren turned his head to glare at her. He didn't say anything though and answered Levi's question. "I can take my lunch any time I want now that I have the papers and I get a full hour. Just let me go grab my wallet and-"

"Eren!" a gruff voice called across the room. A large blonde Alpha in a fancy navy blue suit was walking purposely towards the pair, smiling broadly.

The grin on Eren's face immediately turned into a scowl for a brief moment before it switched to a professional and neutral smile. "Reiner," Eren greeted, crossing his arms, "Sasha was about to fax the papers; you didn't need to come all the way here."

"But I wanted to see your pretty smile," said the Alpha, stepping up to the pair, completely ignoring Levi.

Levi tensed as the large blonde Alpha swaggered self importantly over to Eren, completely disregarding Levi's presence as he hit on Eren shamelessly. Son of a bitch... What was with these fuckers? Levi scowled, a low growl of warning rumbling from his throat without his conscious consent. He'd honestly been holding back to allow Eren to handle himself and most of the others had seemed to return to their work when Levi's scent had wafted around them, but this Reiner seemed completely unperturbed and Levi was getting pissed off.

He stepped around the blonde to place a hand on Eren's lower back possessively and narrowed his eyes at the broad Alpha, his scent curling around the Omega intently. "I'm sure your assistant can handle this. Where do you want to go for lunch sweetness?" He asked, voice several octaves lower than usual and gravelly as if on the verge of growling again, gaze still set in a warning glare at the other Alpha.

Eren looked at Levi and smiled sweetly as he leaned into his touch before he turned his green gaze back to Reiner. "Sasha will give you the details. If you need me, give my office a call later this afternoon or send me an email," he said curtly, dismissing the man politely before he turned back to Levi, "There's this shop I've wanted to try out since I've worked here. I'll go get my stuff; just wait here." Eren leaned down to kiss Levi on the cheek before he trotted to his office.

"'Course, whatever you want sweetness," Levi agreed with a wink, watching Eren leave before his gaze shifted back to the other Alpha.

Reiner raised his eyebrows at the display, his eyes finally scrutinizing the shorter Alpha. When Eren was out of earshot the blonde's scent rose aggressively; smoky chocolate and cherry filling the air. " _You're_ his Alpha?" he asked, lifting his chin to look down on Levi.

His own scent rose in response to the aggressive and challenging scent, sea salt citrus clashing viciously with the smoky cherry of Reiner's and Levi raised an eyebrow, crossing his arms firmly over his chest, cocking a hip and raising his chin defiantly. "I am and you are?" He questioned nonchalantly, confidence pouring out of him, rudely refusing to introduce himself properly to the other Alpha. Like hell he was going to take any shit from this douche.

Reiner snorted. "Reiner Braun, the Alpha that's gonna bond him when he kicks you to the curb," he answered, a vicious smile on his face as he puffed out his giant chest. "You haven't managed to trick him into a bond yet, so he's free game. There's no way an Alpha like you could keep an Omega like him for long."

Levi wet his lips and lowered his lashes, pupils narrowing further in the snowy mercury of his irises. "S'that so? What kind of Omega is that exactly?" he questioned lowly, a dangerous lilt to his tone, disregarding the rib aimed at him and more concerned with what the other Alpha thought in regards to his Omega. He didn't care for the arrogant tone or the cocky words the blonde was spouting. Maybe he wasn't planning to bond Eren himself, but he seriously hoped the Omega had better taste than the piece of work before him.

Reiner relaxed his stance as he looked towards Eren's office. "Beautiful, from a high class family of doctors, successful, smart. He's been practically bred for the high life," he said with a husky voice. Turning back to Levi, "Yeah, he might be a little defiant, but I like a challenge. Obviously you haven't been a proper Alpha to him. Omegas are the weaker dynamic. They need guidance from a good Alpha, especially confident ones like Eren."

Levi chuckled darkly. "Guidance is it? He seems to respond to my _guidance_ eagerly enough. He's not meant to be controlled and he's definitely not weak. Alphas like you are the reason Alphas like me have no trouble catching Omegas like him. You all don't appreciate them for who they are and only care what you think they’re supposed to be. You aren't Alpha enough for him, trust me," the shorter Alpha replied, shifting his weight idly, irritated by the other male's words. He couldn't imagine Eren with an Alpha like Reiner; there's no way they'd last long.

"Well. We'll see about that," Reiner said, his eyes shifting from Levi to Eren who was walking towards them.

"Sorry, I couldn't find my phone," Eren said, smiling at Levi and taking his hand when he was close enough. The aggressive scents in the air made Eren give Levi a questioning look, but instead of asking directly, he asked Reiner, "Don't you have a job to do? If you keep hanging around my office and stinking up the place, I'll have to report you." Eren sounded teasing, but he was completely serious.

Reiner held up his hands in surrender as he smiled innocently at the Omega. "I'll head back to my department now. I'll come find you after lunch, Eren." With that, he turned on his heel and walked away, not even bothering to pick up the papers that Sasha had ready for him.

"So annoying," Eren said under his breath, just loud enough for Levi to hear as he glared after the retreating form of Reiner. His gaze and smile softened as he looked to Levi. "Ready to go?" he asked, squeezing the man's hand.

Levi's scent had settled as soon as Eren grasped his hand, still possessive and protective, but less aggressive than it had been, calmed by his Omega's presence. Levi watched Reiner's departure, pulling Eren closer unconsciously. He seriously hoped Eren wouldn't end up with an Alpha like the arrogant shit.

He looked at Eren and returned the Omega's smile, "Yeah, I'm ready sweetness. Let's get out of here," he said, not saying anything about the other Alpha, not wanting to inflame his own irritation or upset Eren. The Omega's comment was enough reassurance that Eren didn't care for Reiner's advances for the moment.

He let Eren lead the way from the office, hand keeping a firm hold of the Omega's as they moved. "So what café was it you wanted to try?"

"Mmm," Eren said, practically skipping as they made their way to the elevator, "My assistant keeps telling me about this place like a two minute walk away. Apparently, _everyone_ goes there for lunch, but I haven't been yet, since I mostly skip lunch anyway." The elevator doors opened and Eren tugged Levi inside as he said, "The name is escaping me right now... Fuck what was it? I know where it is though. Like right off 104th street."

"The Titan Teacup? That's my mom's place," the Alpha said with a lopsided smile, slipping his arms around the Omega's waist and drawing him against himself as the elevator doors closed behind them.

Eren stilled in Levi's arms. "Oh... Is that um... Okay?" Eren asked, glancing back at his Alpha with a worried look. "If you don't want to take me there, I can go with someone else and pick a different place today."

Levi nosed behind Eren's ear affectionately, "Nah, it's fine sweetness. Least I'll know you had a good lunch if we go there. You shouldn't be skipping meals," he murmured, unconcerned about taking Eren to the café his mother and stepfather owned, not really thinking anything of it.

"Well... If you're sure you’re okay with it," Eren said, biting his lip. He didn't think he'd ever meet the Alpha's parents since they were only casual and nothing serious. But he guessed that the owners would be too busy with customers to meet Eren anyway so he was probably worrying for nothing. Levi didn't seem to care, so he took a deep breath and relaxed in his Alpha's arms once again.

They quickly made their way out of the elevator and then the glassy front doors of the building to walk down the avenue and turn down 104th street. Eren didn't know which shop it would be until Levi stopped in front of one of the cafés. It was still early so they’d managed to beat the lunch rush, but the cafe was still the busiest on the block.

The Alpha held the door open for Eren and followed him inside the cool café and to the end of the line. There was a tall auburn haired Alpha putting together and grilling sandwiches, wraps and ladling soup into bowls, calling out names as he set them up on the glass top of the display case showing off an array of ready-made foods and baked goods. And behind the counter was a short, pale Omega woman, her long hair drawn up in a messy bun, wisps framing her angular face, a friendly smile on her lips as she took orders while a tall blonde Alpha worked on the drinks to the other side of her from the male cooking.

When Eren and Levi finally approached the counter, the woman lit up entirely and she came out from behind the counter to yank her son into a hug, planting an affectionate smooch to his cheek, to which the Alpha grimaced, but hugged her back, the tips of his ears pinking. The two men behind the counter chuckled and rolled their eyes.

The woman pulled back after a moment and slapped Levi on the arm roughly, "Levi! You should visit your mother more, you ungrateful son. We never see you," she scolded before her sharp gaze turned to her son's companion, scenting Levi's scent on him before her gaze turned sly, "Seems you've had good reason to be avoiding us."

"Ma, come on, you're embarrassing me. We're just here for lunch," the Alpha said, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly as his mother released him to instead look over the Omega next to him. He was about to introduce Eren when his mother interrupted.

"I'm Kuchel, the one who raised this unruly boy and you are?" she introduced with a bright smile, offering her hand to the other Omega.

Eren stood back and chuckled at the warm greeting between mother and son. It was so adorable. When the woman turned her sharp gaze on him he smiled brightly, taking her pale hand in his tan one. "Eren Jaeger. It's lovely to meet you! I've been wanting to come to your café since I started work. I think most of my assistant's paycheque goes to eating here three times a day," he said with a laugh.

The woman laughed as well, shaking Eren's hand. "Ah yes, you must be talking about all the 'suits.' You work in that big building too? How on earth did you manage to end up meeting my boy? He avoids this end of town like it's quarantined," she said with a wink while Levi scoffed and shifted restlessly.

"Ma, we've only got an hour. I gotta feed him before I take him back to work and you got customers," the Alpha complained, though it seemed to have little effect on the tiny woman. She waved him off, finally releasing Eren's hand before she returned behind the counter, her glowing gaze still on the pretty brunette her son was obviously involved with.

She hadn't met very many of Levi's love interests in the past. She knew he had a tendency to shy away from serious relationships and was adamant about never bonding. She'd always thought he just needed to meet the right one, sure that he would find an Omega someday that he wouldn't be able to let go of and meeting this young man had her hopes soaring. It was about time Levi found a suitable partner; she'd been worried he was going to end up all alone because he refused to invest himself wholly. She knew he was afraid, and that was in part her fault, but she believed he would be happy if he would just let himself fall in love.

Eren, still smiling brightly, waved Levi off. "Don't be rude to your mom; we have lots of time," he scolded Levi as he stepped up to the counter, "Levi landscaped the backyard to my new house and is going to do some things inside as well. He didn't know where I worked when we met and I don't think I'm a typical 'suit' anyway. I'm actually in the process of redesigning your brother's website."

Kuchel nodded, interest in her snowy blue eyes as she listened to Eren. Levi blew a breath upwards, dark strands floating around his face. He could feel his ears burning, so awkward while his mother talked to the Omega he was currently taking out. He hadn't thought she'd be so interested nor that she would even have the chance to interrogate Eren as she was. He shifted his weight, looking between Farlan and Brian pleadingly. The blonde only chuckled and put on another pot of coffee to brew while his stepfather grinned unabashedly and began making Levi his usual Mediterranean wrap with cheddar broccoli soup.

Kuchel laughed lightly, "Oh thank goodness, I've been telling the both of them that it needed some pizzazz for the last two years. Kenny has no idea how to do anything on the internet and Levi's always so busy running around doing the manual labour. They're lucky to have you assisting; you must be very talented to be working for such a prominent company. What would you like for lunch my dear? I'm sure I can leave the boys to man the counter and come talk before the rush, but let's get you fed first," she said brightly, ignoring the suffering sigh that came from her son.

"Um," Eren said, quickly looking up to scan the black chalk board menu. "I'll have the quiche and a London fog please," he said with a smile.

Kuchel nodded, "It'll be right up," she said pleasantly. She glanced at her son and chuckled, leaning forward to whisper to the Omega, "Isn't he cute when he's all sulky and embarrassed? Just look at how pink his ears are. You better take him to a table. I'll bring your orders over when they're ready."

"So adorable... This is like the best day for me ever," Eren whispered back with a grin, "Thank you." He leaned back and turned to Levi. "C'mon Alpha, let's go sit down," he said, taking the man's hand and leading him towards an empty table.

Levi grumbled under his breath as his mother giggled and turned to take over making the drinks for the couple while Farlan manned the counter as the pre-lunch lull began. He wasn't sure how to feel about his mother's obvious interest in Eren. He was glad they seemed to get along, but he felt oddly self-conscious. He couldn't even remember the last time he'd brought anyone he was seeing to meet the woman.

He pulled out Eren's seat for him absently before he sank into his own, brows furrowed in thought. It made him feel kind of warm inside knowing that his mother liked his choice in Omega, but it also made the pit of his stomach knot and he couldn't quite decide if he minded what was happening.

Eren bit his lip, his amusement in his Alpha's embarrassment turning into worry. The Omega hadn't expected to receive so much attention from Levi's mom and now he was worried he’d upset his lunch date. "Levi," he said, touching the sulking Alpha's arm gently, "I can make an excuse and take the food back to work... I didn't mean to make you uncomfortable... That's why I was worried about coming here in the first place."

The Alpha met Eren's worried gaze and shook his head, "Nah, it's okay. If you leave now, she'll only pester me worse. It's just weird. I don't usually introduce anyone to my family. She'd be pissed if you'd come in here smelling like me, but I hadn't mentioned you to her, so it's probably better this way. Don't worry about it sweetness, it's not bad, just... Different," he assured, catching the Omega's hand in his unoccupied one and bringing it to his lips to press a kiss to Eren's knuckles, ignoring the odd nervous fluttering in his gut.

"Okay," Eren agreed with reluctance, still worried the Alpha was upset, "I guess it's only fair. You'll be meeting my parents when they come for the party next week. Hopefully my mom doesn't fuck with your brain too badly." Eren's parents were very sweet individuals, but very protective of Eren. Carla was especially crafty, using her psycho analysis to bring people to their knees.

Levi quirked a half smile and inclined his head, "Yeah, remind me to keep my guard up around her. The worst my mom's gonna do is embarrass the shit out of me. Yours could probably break me," he said, his gaze softening as he let the ease of interaction and comfort between them soothe his nerves and buried the strange apprehension in his gut, choosing not to analyze any of it further for the moment. He held Eren's hand in his, thumbing over his knuckles unconsciously as his mother made her way over to their table with their drinks in her hands followed by Levi's stepfather carrying the tray with their food.

Kuchel set their drinks before them respectively before setting their lunches before them as well and lastly, taking a cup of tea off the tray for herself. She slipped into the seat next to Eren and smiled kindly, gesturing at him, "Brian, this is Eren, Eren, this is my bonded, Levi's stepfather Brian. He can't stay and chat unfortunately, but I thought he might at least like to say hello," she introduced pleasantly while Levi shook his head, feeling very much like a teenager with his first boyfriend or something.

The ginger haired Alpha smiled and offered his hand to Eren politely, adjusting his glasses with his other hand, his hazel eyes warm and as kind as Levi's mother's, "It's a pleasure to meet you. I'm sorry I can't stick around longer to regale you with tales of Levi's childhood, but duty calls. I'll leave Kuchel to the embarrassing; she's better at it anyway," he said with a wink. Levi groaned and gave the Omega's hand held in his a little squeeze, trying to ignore the flare of heat that rose in his ears anew.

Eren took his hand with a smile, "Likewise. From the smell of this cafe, I think you guys will be seeing a lot of me. I may be persuaded to not skip lunch anymore." He squeezed Levi's hand back to comfort the Alpha as he took a sip of his tea and studied Kuchel. Levi was the spitting image of this woman, and it was weird to see Levi as female and an Omega to boot. He liked her already and hoped he would be able to spend more time with her, except he wouldn't if it made Levi uncomfortable. Plus it would make breaking up that much harder.

Brian chuckled, releasing Eren's hand. "We certainly wouldn't mind having you," he said before he turned at the call from Farlan. "That's my cue. I hope to see you again Eren," he bid pleasantly, clapping Levi on the shoulder before he was meandering back to his station behind the display case.

Levi sighed and looked between his mother and his Omega as they both sipped at their tea. He gave his head a little shake, "You might as well get on with it Ma. I know you're dying to talk his ear off," he grumbled before he picked up his spoon and focused on his food intently, though he was listening to the two Omegas.

Kuchel grinned and turned her attention to the other Omega, "Not that I needed his permission, but now that I have a few minutes, tell me more about yourself my dear. Where are you from?"

"Well," Eren started, smiling nervously at the Omega, "I'm from Shiganshina. I never actually thought I'd leave, but I moved here a couple weeks ago; bought a house and started a new job and everything. My current employers had scouted me for years before they finally managed to offer me a position I couldn't refuse. So... Here I am." Eren shrugged then took another sip of tea before he picked up his utensils to cut into the quiche.

"Really? That's impressive. You moved all the way out here all on your lonesome? Weren't you nervous?" the elder Omega questioned with interest, watching Eren over the rim of her teacup as she lifted it to her lips again.

Before he answered, he took a bite of the quiche and groaned as his eyes fluttered shut. "Fuck this is good," he said then added a quick, "Pardon my language." He took another bite then cleared his throat. "Of course! It was terrifying! But it was also amazing at the same time. It feels good to be the boss and own your own home. I've never been on my own like this and it's thrilling."

Kuchel laughed and waved off Eren's apology. "No need to apologize, I'll take it as a compliment," she said with a wink, before she continued to speak, "I can imagine. Must be loads of fun ordering Alphas around, hm? I know it is for me. Notice how I'm over here having a lovely break while the boys are working." She grinned brightly and set her teacup down on the matching saucer to gesture at Farlan and Brian who were busily restocking and tidying behind the counter in preparation for the lunch rush.

"Tch, he's a damn slave driver on and _off_ the clock," Levi murmured, flashing a little smirk at his lover, eyes glinting with humour.

Eren smacked Levi's arm and gave him a look, but couldn't keep a smile from spreading across his face. "I wish it was fun. For the most part, I just wish they'd stop hitting on me and let me do my job," Eren said, rubbing the back of his neck and ducking his head. He didn't want to bitch about his work to Levi's mom, but he couldn't lie to her. Eren really wasn't enjoying the attention of the Alphas at his office. He sighed as he took another bite and swallowed. "I'm sure it'll settle down soon. They just like to question my authority because I'm an Omega."

Kuchel frowned and shook her head, "I'm sorry about that. Unfortunately, it's a pretty common way of thinking here. I had such a hard time when I first opened the café. You wouldn't believe the nerve of some of them; I'm a bonded woman for goodness sake. Oh and of course there were the ones that thought it wasn't appropriate for me to be the owner instead of the owner's wife. Well, let's just say, their coffee came extra scalding until they learned their lessons. Now, my boy doesn't give you any trouble, does he? He'd better not; I raised him better than that," she said, giving Levi a stern look. He scowled at her and grumbled around a spoonful of soup.

"Oh no," Eren assured, shaking his head vigorously, "You're son is a sweetheart. I've never had an Alpha treat me so well before and with the respect he does. He doesn't think I'm lesser because he's my Alpha..." Eren looked over at Levi and gave the man the most affectionate smile with stars in his eyes. He turned his bright green gaze back to Kuchel and gave her a brighter smile, "You've raised a fine man. I'm sure you're very proud."

Levi grunted and dropped his gaze back to his food, heat crawling up the back of his neck as his ears burned intensely, warmth spreading through his chest as pride swelled in response to the Omega's complimentary words.

Kuchel smiled brightly in return and reached to ruffle her son's hair, ignoring his attempt to avoid the attention, so clearly embarrassed. "Good. Now if you could convince him to keep ahold of you and have some grandbabies for me, I'd be very grateful. He seems so set on never having any, but maybe with the right Omega," she said, leaning back to look at Eren again, her words a little teasing, but only half joking.

As Kuchel spoke, Eren was taking a sip of tea, and at the mention of grandbabies, he immediately choked and started to sputter. He recovered as a pained expression crossed his face and he looked down at the table to avoid Kuchel's gaze. "Um... I'm sorry... I can't have kids... Even if your son wanted to bond me, which he doesn't," Eren said quietly, dreading the reaction to his statement.

Kuchel's brows furrowed and her eyes went soft and a little sad, "I'm so sorry, but you know, that's what adoption's for. Grandbabies are grandbabies after all," she said, reaching to lay a hand on one of Eren's supportively, "As for what he wants... He ought to change his mind if he knows what's good for him. I'm about ready to sell him off to you to be honest. He's such a stubborn little shit, always has been. Maybe one of these days, he'll realize bonding's nothing to fear."

Levi didn't look up, doing his best to pretend he wasn't hearing her, unable to look at his Omega, a sudden and potent wash of what could only be guilt spreading through him and he refused to think about it. His mother would be happy if he bonded the brunette, he knew that; probably his whole family would be. It didn't matter that Eren was infertile, so long as Levi was with someone that suited him and he was fairly certain Eren would be alright with it, but he just couldn't. What if he fucked it up someday and he hurt the beautiful Omega, especially after Eren had already been hurt? And if they ever **did** have brats, he seriously doubted his ability to be a good father. There was no way... Even so... He wasn't quite ready to give him up yet.

Eren squeezed Levi's hand as he lifted his gaze to meet Kuchel's once again. "We don't have to be bonded to be together," he said, repeating what Levi had told him at the beginning of their relationship, "It's even possible to spend our whole lives together without being bonded. I've thought about it a lot since being with him and... It's just a mark. Besides we haven't even been together that long... Maybe someday he will change his mind... That's not even important to me. We are happy together right now and that's all that really matters right? I'm not going to push him into anything that makes him uncomfortable. I just... Want to make your son as happy as he's made me..." It was like word vomit, but that's exactly how Eren felt. He would never pressure Levi to bond, and why did they need to get bonded anyway? It was something he had wanted for a very long time and something he still craved... But Eren was starting to think that he could give up the chance to be bonded if he got to be with Levi.

He blushed bright red and looked down, realizing that he had just confessed his innermost thoughts not only to Levi's mother, but to Levi himself. Curse his impulsive honesty.

Kuchel patted Eren's hand, but stayed silent, a small knowing smile curling on her lips. She liked Eren more and more. Hearing his words made her heart warm with hope. Maybe, just maybe he was the _right_ Omega to make her boy face his fears.

Levi blinked, finally looking up upon hearing Eren's words. He wasn't sure what to make of the confession, but it was enough to stay his guilt for the moment. Was Eren serious? He'd really give up something like that, something Levi was sure he'd wanted for most of his life... It was an incredibly endearing sentiment.

"Maybe, we'll see," he said quietly, "Like Eren said, it's only been a couple weeks. There's an awful long way to go before we consider changing anything. Why fix something that's not broken?" Kuchel only sighed, shaking her head a little, though the small smile stayed firmly on her lips.

"Alright, alright, you win. I'll stop meddling, but you better be sure you take good care of this one. You'd be a fool to let him go," she said as she stood up, "I should be getting back over there now. The rush will start any moment now. It was very nice meeting you my dear. I hope we'll be seeing a lot more of each other. Take care." She squeezed Eren's shoulder before she rounded the little table and planted a kiss on her son's cheek before she was hustling off to help prepare for the imminent rush.

When she'd gone, Levi stared at Eren for several long silent seconds before he reached to cover one of the Omega's hands with his own, wetting his lips and clearing his throat. "Sorry, she can be a little uh, abrasive. Let's not worry about that shit right now, hm? Things are good as they are, yeah?"

Eren brought up one hand to cover his bright red face. "I'm so sorry... I shouldn't have said any of that shit... I just knew her pressuring you to bond me would make you upset..." He finally lifted his green eyes to Levi's grey and gave him a small smile, "Everything I said was the truth though. And everything is good... I'm happy."

Levi nodded and met the Omega's gaze unwaveringly. "It's fine. I'm not upset. I'm sorry my mom is so nosy. I'm happy you're happy," he said in response, giving Eren's hand another little squeeze. "What do you want to do this weekend? There's a carnival coming to town. We could go if you want," he suggested, changing the subject. He didn't want to think about it anymore. Things were fine just as they were.

Eren immediately brightened at the mention of the carnival he'd seen plastered on posters all over the city. "Yeah? You wanna take me? I fucking love carnivals," Eren said, bouncing with excitement. "The rides and the candy and the shitty food! I always went with Armin and Jean to one that came yearly to Shiganshina... But they were always too big of pansy asses to go on the good rides."

The Alpha chuckled. "Of course, we can go. And, I promise to go on all the rides with you. It'll be fun," he agreed, grinning at the brightened brunette. He reached across the table with his other hand to ruffle Eren's hair, pleased to have been able to bring his bright smile back after the awkwardness that had been between them. "How's Friday night? Or would Saturday be better?"

"Mm Friday night would be good! 'Cause then we could go when all the lights are on and shit," Eren said, thinking out loud to himself. A sudden thought came to him and he leaned in to whisper to Levi with a devilish smirk on his face, "I know since we knot every time, we can't have a quickie on the Ferris wheel... But I bet I could suck you off in time... Wouldn't that be romantic?"

Levi's face blanked for a second and then he laughed abruptly. "I don't know if romantic is the right word, but I definitely wouldn't mind that. You're a bad influence, you know that?" he said humourously, leaning in as well to press a kiss to the side of the Omega's mouth. He pulled back after a second, still smiling and dropped his hand back to the table. "You ready to go back to work?"

Eren sat back and groaned. Pouting his bottom lip at his Alpha, he whined, "I don't wanna..." Which was the truth. He didn't want to go back and deal with the bullshit at the office, especially since Reiner had promised to return later. The Omega had just started to feel less annoyed.

Levi gave him a sympathetic look. "I know you don't sweetness, but at least it's only a couple more hours, then you can come home to me. What do you want for dinner tonight?"

"Cock meat sandwich," Eren said, completely serious as he stared the Alpha down with heat in his gaze.

Levi lowered his lashes, returning the heated gaze as a slow wicked smirk curled his lips, "That can be arranged," he said lowly. He glanced at the time and hummed, "You know, if we leave now, we could make out for a bit in the back of my truck..."

Eren grinned wildly, suddenly very eager to leave as he jumped up from his seat and began tugging on Levi's arm. "Let's go let's go let's go," he chanted, dancing from foot to foot.

The Alpha chuckled and stood up, reaching for Eren's hand with one of his own. He waved lazily to his family as he let the Omega tug him out of the café and back towards the tall building he worked at and the lot where Levi had parked his truck.

Once they reached the vehicle, Eren dived into the backseat as soon as Levi unlocked it, pulling the Alpha in with him. The Alpha was just able to shut the door before Eren was on him, making out with him aggressively and pawing at Levi's jeans. "Unzip 'em," Eren commanded between kisses, unable to undo the pants himself.

"Such a demanding princess," Levi groaned huskily and leaned back, head resting against the armrest of the door, reaching down to pop open the button on his jeans. Unzipping them, he shifted his hips and pulled them and his underwear down enough to free his already straining cock.

Eren immediately dived down, rubbing his face over Levi's erection to scent himself then pulling the red glistening head into his mouth. He sucked on it like it was the best damn lollipop he had ever tasted. The Omega moaned audibly as he tasted the Alpha's precum and hoped to god this wouldn't make him slick. If he did slick, he'd have to go shower. There was no way he could go into the office smelling like slick. It didn't matter that Eren was the boss; he would definitely get attacked.

Levi let his breath out in a harsh hiss between his teeth, hands immediately tangling in and tugging roughly at the Omega's hair as his hips jerked. "F-fuck," he huffed, head falling back against the armrest as he stared at the Omega from under his lashes. "Want you so bad sweetness... Should make you late for work for all the times you do it to me," he murmured hoarsely.

Eren let go of Levi with a pop and moaned at the feeling of Levi pulling his hair. Reaching up, he pressed a hand against Levi's, trying to make him stop pulling. "Please love... You'll make me slick then I can't go back to work... I just wanna taste you... Please love," he begged, looking up at Levi with round lust filled eyes.

Levi growled gutturally in response to the begging tone and shuddered, a rush of pride and heated arousal flowing under his skin, knowing that he had the ability to make the Omega react so intensely. And it was so damn hard to do... But he forced his fingers from Eren's hair, resting them against his shoulders instead, kneading the supple flesh. He wanted to take him, make him slick and fuck him into the back seat of his truck, but he knew why Eren didn't want to have such a reaction. It would only cause problems for him at work and Levi shouldn't care, but he did. He knew the Omega's job was important to him and Eren wouldn't want to shirk his responsibilities for the rest of the day or give the Alphas any more reason to harass him in the office.

Eren smiled up at Levi, affection mixed with lust in his gaze. "Thank you love... I'm going to make it feel so good... You're gonna feel so good love," Eren cooed before he ducked his head back down, licking a stripe on the underside of Levi's cock then taking it in his mouth once again.

Levi lifted a hand to his own hair, tangling his fingers in the longer dark ebony strands as he panted heavily. He arched and shuddered again, shifting restlessly in the cramped space, unable to move as much as he'd like and forcefully holding himself back from grabbing the Omega. A low whine sounded from in his chest as his hips rolled desperately upwards, trying to press deeper into the slick heat of Eren's mouth. "Mmn, fuck Eren... S'good... So good..."

Eren relaxed his throat and forced his head down quickly, taking Levi completely and swallowing around the man's length. He hummed, making his throat vibrate then bobbed up and down as Levi's hips began to jerk into his mouth. Stilling, he allowed the man more freedom to thrust at his own pace, trying his best not to choke or gag on the Alpha's massive erection.

Levi's breath hitched and his fingers spasmed, tugging at his own hair and kneading at Eren's shoulder. He rocked his hips up, thrusting in and out of the Omega's moist, relaxed throat, already on the cusp of orgasm. He could feel his muscles tensing up in preparation. "Eren... Eren..." he breathed in warning, shuddering as he forced the name out.

Eren let Levi thrust into his mouth sporadically, tears spilling from his watery eyes and willing himself not to slick from the noises the Alpha was making. Finally, Levi's hips stuttered, streams of milky white cum bursting from the Alpha's cock and flowing down Eren's throat. The Omega managed to swallow it all, only spitting out the cock in his mouth when it started to become soft.

Levi slumped in front of him as Eren sat up and licked his lips. "Mm, thank you love," Eren said breathlessly, leaning forward to kiss the Alpha's cheek. "You're so good to me... Always give me what I want," purred Eren as he ran his fingers through Levi's hair, praising the man for his efforts.

Levi hummed breathily, wrapping his hands around the Omega and rubbing up against him, scenting him heavily. "You make it impossible to say no to you," he murmured, smoothing his hands up and down Eren's back, "I'll have to return the favour when you get home."

"It's a date," Eren beamed, sitting back out of Levi's arms to fix his hair and straighten his rumpled clothes. "Do I look alright? Think I can go back?" Eren asked, his lips red and swollen, smelling thickly of Levi.

The Alpha's silver gaze followed the Omega's movements as Eren straightened himself out and he had to stop himself from pulling him back in.

"Beautiful... As always... I don't want you to go back," he answered, voice still breathless and low and holding just the tiniest hint of petulance. He didn't want to let the Omega go back inside where all those Alphas were; he wanted to take Eren home and lock the both of them up in his bedroom instead. He licked his lips and swallowed hard, forcing the possessive thoughts back further in his mind, though his scent gave him away.

"You better go before I abduct you and return that favour right now," he warned, still watching Eren, hands settled on the other male's waist comfortably, "Mm, wait, c'mere." He leaned up and drew Eren in, pressing his mouth to the side of Eren's throat, sucking and biting until he was certain he'd left a dark mark where it would be most visible. He placed a kiss to it before he finally drew away again, finding it difficult to do so. Maybe he had been more unbalanced by the strange events of the day than he'd thought.

Eren shuddered and panted as Levi worked a mark onto his throat. A protesting whine escaped his chest when the Alpha pulled back and he placed a hand over the side of his neck. He couldn't help, but feel disappointed that Levi didn't break the skin; how deep did one have to bite for it to make a bond?

"Argh... You're making this difficult for me," Eren whined, trying to adjust his boner in his slacks so that it wouldn't show, "If I didn't have such an important meeting this afternoon, I would say to hell with it... But I do..." He pouted for a moment, his swollen bottom lip sticking out but then he smiled at Levi wickedly, "The only thing that's gonna get me through being stuck with Reiner is the fact that he's gonna smell you on me the whole time. He's gonna be fucking pissed and that makes me soooooo happy. Maybe he will take a fucking hint that I'm taken."

"Mm, he'd better. I don't like the way that guy looks at you," the Alpha said, though he didn't expand on the reasons why and he didn't mention anything about what the blonde had said to him in the office. There was no point... Eren was not at all interested in the other Alpha and as long as that was the case and the blonde didn't get too handsy with the Omega, Levi wasn't about to start anything.

Levi pushed himself up into a better sitting position and nudged Eren, reaching to brush an errant lock of hair back behind his ear. "Go on then sweetness. I'll see you at home."

"Mm, see you later, love," Eren said, giving Levi a smooch, trying to make the man feel how much he didn't want to go. Soon enough, he let go of Levi and scrambled out of the backseat of the truck. He checked his watch, tried to fix his hair and clothes once more then trotted out of the parking lot to the front entrance of his workplace. A small smile stayed on the Omega's lips throughout the rest of the day and no one commented that he reeked of Alpha, not even Reiner, who was in a decidedly bad mood for the rest of the afternoon.

Levi flopped back into his seat after Eren had disappeared. He ran his hands through his hair and sighed heavily. "What a fucking day," he murmured to himself, lying uncomfortably sprawled in the back of his truck for several long moments before he pulled himself up and out of the seats to get into the front and return to Eren's place instead. He was on edge for the rest of the day, agitated and restless while he waited for the Omega to return to him. He couldn't even figure out why, but everything that had happened, from when he'd first had that charged conversation with the blonde Alpha at Eren's office, to the awkward denial of his mother's prodding and the intense urge to mark the Omega up before he sent him back to work had set him in a mood. He could only hope that when Eren was home, his odd irritated apprehension would settle.


	11. Manufacturing Flaws

 

It was Friday evening and Levi was coming to pick Eren up to go to the carnival. The Omega was currently dancing around his kitchen singing along to Best Day of My Life by American Authors. Today, he’d decided to dress up a bit and differently from his usual style; wearing a light green sun dress that hugged his chest then billowed out at his hips with his hair pinned with green barrettes and green sandals. He had wanted to wear wedges, but he didn't think Levi would appreciate him being _even_ taller. He heard a knock at the door and he pranced over, flushed from dancing and a little sweaty. Eren had learned early on that the man loved the smell of his sweat, so it didn't embarrass him now. What he did not know was how Levi would react to his wardrobe choice. Eren didn't usually dress so Omega-like and he didn’t know if Levi had preferences in regards to how he liked his Omegas to dress.

Levi wasn't looking when the door opened, his attention elsewhere as he patted his pockets to be sure he had his wallet and cellphone. He was wearing slim-fitting, dark charcoal coloured jeans with strategically placed rips in the thigh, knee and backside and a dark green V-neck t-shirt complete with a matching charcoal denim jacket and well-worn high-top converse sneakers, casual for their night out at the carnival. When his eyes finally did turn to his date, they widened and he swallowed hard.

"Uh... Evening sweetness... You look... Wow," he managed once he could find his voice, reaching out to frame Eren's waist with his hands and stepping up to give him a kiss in greeting. He had definitely not been expecting the Omega to be dressed so prettily for the night, but it certainly wasn't an unwelcome sight. Eren was damn beautiful in anything he wore and even more so in nothing at all, so Levi had no complaints.

His scent curled around them, heavy with affection and appreciation as well as threads of arousal and intent possessiveness. "Did you dress up so pretty just for me?" he asked as he pressed in closer, nosing his way along Eren's collar, inhaling the sweet scent of the Omega's sweat with a low rumbling growl of approval.

"No, I dressed up for all the Alphas that'll be checking me out at the carnival," Eren said sarcastically with a roll of his eyes. He blushed and looked down, biting his lip as he tucked a strand of stray hair behind his ear. "Do you like it?" he asked shyly, "I know this isn't my usual..."

"As if you need to ask. You're beautiful sweetness. Of course I like it. As for those other Alphas, they'll just have to be disappointed since I'll be the one taking you home. I'll be proud to have you on my arm," the Alpha replied, nuzzling the side of the Omega's neck, pressing his lips along his pulse, "So fucking pretty. How'd I get so lucky?"

Eren giggled at the ticklish feeling of the Alpha kissing his neck. "Love stop," Eren said in a whiny voice, but with a smile still on his face, proud that the Alpha liked his outfit, "If you don't stop, we won't make it to the fair. It's on my bucket list to do kinky shit on the Ferris wheel and I'll be super disappointed if we don't. When we get back, you can hike up my dress all you want!"

Levi chuckled, breath stirring against damp flesh. "You promise?" he murmured as he pulled back, licking his lips and savouring the salty sweetness of the Omega's sweat on his tongue. "Mm, did you pack a bag? You're coming back to my place, yeah? Or you just going to steal more of my clothes?" He questioned after a moment, still kneading at Eren's firm waist and plush hips, half-dilated eyes warm as he looked at the Omega.

"I like your clothes," Eren said, smiling as he stepped out of Levi's hands to go to the kitchen and turn off the radio that was still playing. He grabbed his phone and his wallet off the counter and met Levi at the door once again. "Hey, I don't have pockets... Mind carrying my phone and wallet for me?" Eren asked, batting his eyelashes at the man as he held them out for him to take.

"Of course. Anything for my princess," the Alpha agreed with a half smirk, taking the items from Eren's hands and tucking them into the inner pocket of his jacket before he was leading the Omega to his truck once Eren had locked his door behind him and Levi opened the passenger door for him as usual. He slipped around to his side once Eren had slid into his seat. He hopped into the driver's seat and started up the truck, turning the radio on low before he pulled out of the driveway and settled the hand not on the wheel on the Omega's thigh, squeezing affectionately, glancing at him sporadically as he drove towards the large park where the carnival was held yearly.

They sat in comfortable silence as they drove and soon they reached the park, the lights glowing in the twilight.

"Oh look!" Eren said, looking out the window and bouncing with excitement, "So pretty. This is going to be so much fun." He grabbed the hand Levi left on his thigh and squeezed, trying to convey his excitement.

They had to drive around a bit to park, and Levi opened Eren's door for him once again as they walked to the park's entrance hand in hand. Eren protested when Levi pulled out enough cash from his wallet for two tickets, but the Alpha ignored him and pulled him into the park instead.

"Mm, what should we do first," Eren asked, looking around in awe and practically vibrating. Eyeing a cotton candy stand, his eyes flashed and he immediately started dragging Levi towards it. "Can't go to a fair and not get cotton candy," Eren stated, looking back at the Alpha as he tugged him along, smiling brightly with the lights of the fair dancing across his eyes.

Levi grinned, eyes reflecting the winking lights as the Omega tugged him along, obviously delighted and the Alpha felt that now familiar warmth of pride and affection filling his chest as he watched him. Ever since their first date, Levi had always managed to pick things that he knew Eren would enjoy and they were things that Levi generally liked as well, even more so when he saw those pretty green eyes light up whenever he took Eren anywhere.

"Of course," he agreed, slipping an arm around the Omega's waist as they waited in the line to get some cotton candy from the busy stand. He held up a finger when the man behind the counter caught his eye and paid for the sweet treat without thought, inclining his head when the proprietor offered the swirled blue and pink candy floss to the Omega instead of Levi, obviously grasping the situation.

"You want to play some games first while you munch out?" he asked as he plucked off a little of the fluffy sugar floss and popped it in his mouth, pulling Eren closer against his side as they strolled through the carnival between other couples, families and groups of friends.

"Yeff," Eren said with a mouthful of cotton candy, the brightly coloured sugar staining his lips a purplish hue. He swallowed and said, "It's corny as fuck, but I've always wanted an Alpha to win me one of those gigantic plushies." He looked down with a blush, trying to hide his face from Levi with the cotton candy.

Levi tugged the Omega against him and leaned up to nuzzle under his ear, "You're so damn cute when you blush. You want me to win you some prizes princess?" he said with a smile, pulling back, but keeping his arm firmly around Eren's curved waist as he turned them towards the area where the games stalls were set up.

Eren's face was beet red, but he nodded his head furiously in answer. "A-are there any games you really like? I'll cheer you on," he said, keeping close to Levi as they walked, eyeing the stalls before them.

Levi's hand kneaded Eren's side unconsciously as he glanced around at the different stalls, "Mm, I got pretty good aim, so any of the shooting ones or the ring toss or whatever," he said, jerking his chin towards the relatively quiet stand where there were a number of metal monsters being moved several feet back behind the counter to be shot down with pellet guns, "How about that one first? Mm, though they don't seem to have any of those big stuffed animals."

"I don't care. Just win me something," Eren said, even more excited as he pulled Levi towards the stand. There was another Alpha and Omega couple there and the Alpha looked Eren up and down, but the Omega grimaced and continued to cling to Levi instead of acknowledging the asshole.

"Step right up and try your hand at the pellet guns! This Alpha needs a challenger," called the guy running the stand. "Hey you! Win against this guy and you can get something pretty for your Omega," he said, pointing to Levi, "Just five dollars and all you have to do is defeat ten monsters before your opponent!"

Levi eyed the other Alpha, a slow smirk spreading across his lips as he pulled out the bill and handed it over to the man behind the counter, accepting the weighted pellet gun when it was offered. He let go of Eren as he gauged the weight of the gun and checked the scope idly. The man behind the counter grinned toothily and gestured for the two Alphas to take their places. "Ready, set, go!" He called as soon as Levi and the other Alpha had stepped up to the counter. Levi immediately started firing off pellets, only missing the first shot before he'd adjusted his aim to accommodate the off weight and scope setting that was entirely intentional on the part of the carnival worker. He quickly took out targets after that, showing off by hitting the three furthest back and fastest moving as well and even hitting a couple extra before the man called his victory.

Levi smirked triumphantly at his scowling opponent as he handed the gun back to the man behind the counter. "That was some aim you got there my friend. Take your pick of topmost prizes," he said with a too wide grin as he pulled out a tray of glittering jewelry from beneath the counter and set it before Levi who reached for Eren and tugged him up to his side.

He pointed to a fake silver chain bracelet that had a bunch of little star and moon charms dangling from it and glanced at Eren, "How 'bout that one sweetness?"

Eren squealed the whole time Levi was playing and jumped for joy every time the Alpha hit a target. Eren wasn't surprised when Levi had won, and he was bouncing beside the Alpha until Levi pulled him close to look at the jewelry.

Unable to contain his excitement when Levi suggested the bracelet that Eren immediately had his eye on, he grabbed the Alpha by the face and continued to cover the man with smooches. "IloveitIloveitIloveit... YouaresogettinglaidtonightI'msohappy," Eren squeaked in a mess of words as he danced in place, holding out his hand for Levi to put the bracelet on.

The Alpha chuckled as he clasped the cheap jewelry onto the Omega's slim wrist, the little charms making a pleasant jingling sound. "If something like this makes you so happy, I can only imagine what your reaction would be to some real jewelry. So cute princess," he said with a charming smile as he pulled Eren's hand up to his mouth to kiss his palm before he was slipping his arm back around the Omega, giving the man behind the counter a lazy salute with his unoccupied hand before leading Eren along the row of stalls.

"Mm... I like anything you give to me... Doesn't have to be expensive," Eren said as he held his wrist out in front of them to admire the bracelet as they walked, "Besides, doesn't it look pretty on me?" The lights of the fair danced off the charm bracelet and Eren beamed, very happy with what his Alpha had won for him.

"Sweetness, everything looks pretty on you," Levi replied, completely unashamed of his blatant flattery. It was true anyways. “You want to play something?”

At Levi's question, Eren looked up and viewed the stalls. He noticed a breaking plates stand and he said, "I wanna play that one," as he pointed to it with his finger.

The Alpha followed the Omega's gaze and nodded, "Alright, lead the way beautiful," he prompted, giving Eren a little squeeze around the middle, genuinely enjoying their date. His chest was warm with pride and his scent was heavy with affection and contentment, possessive and protective.

He could see some other Alphas sending appreciative and jealous glances their way and it only made his inner Alpha preen further knowing that he had Eren and the Omega only seemed to have eyes for him and all the other Alphas were undeserving.

They took their time walking up to the stand and Eren asked Levi to grab him five bucks from his wallet. Of course the man pulled five bucks from his own wallet instead of Eren's and Eren frowned at the man with a sigh. He took the money and gave it to the carnie, and the man gave him three balls to break three plates.

Eren gave Levi a grin then backed up from the stand, giving himself some room. Turning so that he was sideways, he took a breath, wound up and threw a fastball hard, smashing the first plate to bits.

Levi whistled as he watched his Omega destroy the plate, grinning, eyes shining with pride. The Omega looked damn good showing up the Alphas that were also tossing balls at the plates set up next to Eren's set and not doing nearly as well showing off for their Omega dates. "Damn, you got a good arm sweetness," he commented, ignoring the disapproving looks Eren's competitors gave him, as if he should not have been allowing his Omega to show them up, obviously stung by the fact they were being shown up by an Omega in the first place.

"Guess six years of baseball wasn't for nothing then," Eren said cheekily as he gave his hips a little wiggle for emphasis. "I have to admit, it's fucking weird pitching in a dress," he said, twirling around on the spot and making his sundress billow out, totally oblivious to the jealous Alpha stares.

Focusing back on the plates, he wound up again, lifting his leg then stepping forward, whipping his arm differently so that the ball curved and smashed the second plate. He grinned, shaking his hand as he eyed his next target, wound up and pitched a third ball, practically exploding the last plate. Eren hopped on one foot for a second then fist pumped, very pleased with his victory. "Woop!" he said, dancing towards Levi and bouncing over his win.

Levi grinned broadly and caught the excited Omega around the waist, picking him up and spinning him around, "You look great doing it... Gave me a hard on," he said cheekily, setting the brunette back on his feet with his arms looped around his back comfortably a moment before the worker behind the counter was waving Eren over to claim his prize.

Before he went to pick his prize Eren leaned down to whisper in Levi's ear, "Well if you're hard, we should head to the Ferris wheel." He pulled back and winked at the man suggestively before he danced away to the front of the stand to pick his prize.

Looking up at his options, Eren immediately zeroed in on a gigantic green teddy bear that looked soft as fuck. "That one please," Eren said, pointing to the bear and smiling at the worker. The man used a hook to bring down the toy and handed it to Eren, almost completely obscuring the Omega from view.

"Holy shit Levi, look at how awesome this thing is," Eren squealed, turning towards his Alpha to show off.

Levi adjusted his jeans discreetly as he watched Eren go to pick out the stuffed prize, laughing when he returned with the enormous bear. "Happy are you? You want me to carry it for you sweetness?" he asked, already reaching to take the burdensome stuffed animal from the Omega. "Maybe we should drop it off in the truck before we hit those rides," he suggested, not wanting to hold onto the thing the whole night when he'd rather have Eren in his arms instead.

"Yes, I'm happy... Very happy," Eren said, handing the bear off to Levi, still bouncing in place and his eyes filled with childlike glee. "Do you want me to quickly run with it to the truck while you wait for me? We both shouldn't have to walk all the way to the parking lot when I was the one who wanted the inconvenient giant ass toy," Eren offered, biting his lip, now sort of embarrassed he'd picked the toy since it was making them have to go back to the truck.

Levi chuckled and shook his head, tucking the toy under his arm awkwardly. "Nah, it's fine, I got it if you wanna wait in the line for the Ferris wheel. If you come with me, I can't promise we'll make it back over here," he assured, leaning up to press a kiss to the corner of the Omega's mouth, the tip of his tongue flickering against Eren's lips teasingly before he backed off, sending Eren a cheeky wink.

Eren watched him go with a goofy smile and a small wave before he wandered his way to the Ferris wheel. There weren't many rides at this carnival, it being smaller than the ones Eren was used to, so there was a relatively long line. The Omega waited patiently, looking back every so often to watch for Levi and hummed along to the music playing with the ride.

Someone tapped his shoulder, and he smiled, thinking that Levi had managed to sneak up on him. What he found when he turned around was a group of five Alphas led by what could only be described as a douchebag; red backwards hat, sunglasses _at night_ and a stained red t-shirt with red basketball shorts. They all reeked of beer and weed and Eren instantly scowled.

"Hey there, Omega," the douchebag started, "We don't have even numbers so you should ride with one or a couple of us."

"I'm waiting for someone," Eren clipped, turning back around to stand straight in line, arms crossed and foot tapping in vehement annoyance. Why was he harassed every time Levi wasn't glued to his side? Trost should really work on its sexual harassment of Omegas because Eren was really starting to get pissed off.

"C'mon, don't be like that," the Alpha said, poking Eren in the side and making him jump. He didn't acknowledge the man though, keeping his head deliberately turned away. Maybe if he ignored the problem, they would give up and go away.

"Hey I'm talking to you," the Alpha said, anger lacing his tone as he grabbed Eren by the shoulder and turned him around to face the group.

"What the fuck is your problem!?" Eren yelled, smacking the Alpha's hand away harshly, "I didn't give you fucking permission to touch me!"

"Quit being a stuck up bitch," the Alpha bit back, turning red as his friends snickered behind him.

"What the fuck did you just call me?" Eren exclaimed, his fists balling and his foot stomping in anger. He was about to punch this guy right in the throat if he didn't back the fuck off, his anger boiling over the edge.

Levi had his thumbs tucked casually in his belt loops as he sauntered back from his truck through the other carnival goers, humming under his breath contentedly as he made his way to where his Omega would be waiting for him.

"Son of a bitch," he growled when a distinctly irritated and familiar Omegan scent assaulted his nose and he quickened his pace as he rounded a brightly lit stall to see a group of Alphas obviously harassing his Omega.

He moved with swift purpose, his own scent flaring angrily, possessive, dominant and dangerous. He reached the group in time to overhear what was said and grabbed the Alpha's wrist before he could touch Eren again, "Hands off or I'll break them," he growled lowly, squeezing the limb in his hand warningly, a feral grin on his lips, "Now apologize to my Omega and be on your way."

The Alpha douche tried to rip his hand away. "Fuck off man, I was talking to someone!" he yelled, his buddies taking steps forward to help their friend, flexing their pitiful muscles.

"Oh my god, fuck off!" the Omega called in the background, ready to deck someone if any one of those assholes touched his Alpha.

Levi's eyes narrowed, scent rolling off him in potent waves, threatening and aggressive as the Alpha's buddies attempted an intimidating display, though they hesitated as Levi's scent escalated warningly. His grip on the Alpha's arm tightened until the other male grimaced. "Talking and touching are very different things and you shouldn't be doing either one with an Omega that doesn't belong to you, especially when he's already made it clear he's not interested. I believe I told you to apologize. You don't want to play this game with me. I've got no problem holding you still while I let my Omega beat the fuck out of you until he gets that apology," he said in a deadly low tone, stepping further into the other Alpha's space and bending his arm at an awkward angle, glaring at the rest of the group until they backed off.

"Fuck! Fine, I'm sorry," the Alpha screeched as Levi pulled his arm back even further, making the bones bend and feel very uncomfortable.

Eren walked closer to where Levi was holding the guy and narrowed his burning green eyes on the asshole. "I don't think that sounded very sincere, what do you think Alpha?"

Levi glanced at his Omega, then back to the male held uncomfortably captive, "You heard him. **Beg** for his forgiveness," he ordered. The other Alpha whimpered and bowed, trying to relieve the painful pressure in his arm, but Levi was unrelenting. He was too pissed off to care; he'd break the shit head's arm if it would satisfy Eren.

People were starting to gather, whispering over the scene, but Eren didn't care. This asshole should have fucked off when Eren told him to.

"I'm sorry," the Alpha screeched, "I'm fucking sorry. Very sorry. Please forgive me."

"Good," Eren said with a nod, a satisfied and slightly sadistic smile spreading across his face that was sweet as sugar and dangerous. "Maybe next time you'll leave a taken Omega alone if they don't wanna talk to you. You should fuck off out of the park. No one wants their evening ruined by an asshole like you."

"There, that wasn't so hard, now was it? You and your boys be on your way now," Levi said, a dark smile curling on his lips as he let go of the other Alpha, making him stumble back a couple of feet. The asshole rubbed at his sore wrist and looked between Levi and Eren before glancing around at the crowd. It took only a second for him to scramble to get away, turning to the hesitating group, cuffing one of them on the back of the head and hissing contempt at the friends that had done absolutely nothing to assist him.

Levi shook his head and turned to Eren, opening his arms to the Omega now that they were free, wanting him back in them as soon as possible. "You alright sweetness?" he asked quietly as the crowd started to disperse now that the show was over.

Slowly, Eren curled himself in Levi's arms, tentative because he was still shaking with anger and he didn't want to lash out at his Alpha accidentally. He nosed into Levi's neck and sighed, taking deep breaths of the soothing scent to calm down. "I'm sorry love, you keep having to rescue me..."

The Alpha wrapped Eren in his embrace, his protective scent enveloping the Omega comfortingly as a husky soothing croon vibrated from his chest. "It's fine sweetness. I wouldn't have to keep rescuing you if the Alphas in this damn city would mind their fucking manners," he said, slipping one hand up to pet Eren's hair. "You still want to go on the Ferris wheel?" he asked after a second, making eye contact with the ride's manager over Eren's shoulder.

"Fuck yeah," Eren affirmed, holding Levi tighter, his fingers clutching the back of the man's jacket, "I'm not going to let those douchebags ruin my evening. I've been excited to ride the Ferris wheel since you invited me..." He nuzzled his face aggressively into the man, scenting himself further even though it wasn't necessary. They smelled like a bonded pair, which was why those Alphas were such douchebags. They knew Eren was taken. They just wanted to fuck with someone else's Omega.

Levi smiled and rubbed his cheek against Eren's hair affectionately, pleased that the Omega wanted to continue their date. "Alright, come on then sweetness," he agreed, guiding Eren forward to where the man running the ride was waiting for them. He led the Omega over, gesturing for Eren to proceed him into the steel, windowed box, paying before he got in with Eren and immediately settled his arm around the brunette once more, pulling him in against his side as the worker closed the little door behind them.

"Is it weird that you almost breaking someone's arm was a turn on for me?" Eren asked Levi before he kissed the man, tasting the Alpha's mouth as he moved his lips lazily across his date's.

A thrumming hum of appreciation reverberated in Levi's chest as he kissed Eren back, answering in a breathy murmur when their lips parted again, "Not at all. Did it get you wet Omega, hm? Knowing I was willing to make another Alpha bleed for you?" he slipped his hand down from Eren's waist over his hip to his thigh, fingers crawling up beneath the soft hem of the Omega's dress to grope at the softer golden skin beneath.

"Mm, I hope not," Eren said as he moved to straddle Levi's lap, "These panties were expensive. Slick would ruin them." He blushed and grinned crookedly as he lifted his dress to show Levi what he was wearing underneath; a pair of small lacy green see thru panties. They were already stretched across Eren's painfully hard cock.

Levi ran his tongue across his teeth in an almost predatory manner as he looked over the erotic display Eren was giving him, his own hard cock twitching with eagerness. He slipped both hands up the Omega's thighs, thumbing along the crease where the limbs met his pelvis. "Mm, that would be a shame since they look so good on you sweetness," he murmured as he ran one fingertip up the trapped and straining erection clearly visible beneath the silky material of the panties.

"Ah," Eren cried, his hips stuttering when Levi touched him, his cock twitching at the contact. "You're teasing me," Eren whined breathily, his hands settling on the Alpha's shoulders to stay balanced.

"I'm not sorry sweetness. You're so adorable when you want me so bad. You do want me, don't you?" he lilted teasingly, pressing his thumb under the head of Eren's pretty little cock as it wept precum through the light material of the panties.

Eren moaned and writhed in Levi's lap. "Yes I want you... More than I've wanted anything... Fuck Levi..." The Omega ground his hips down, rubbing his ass on Levi's erection still stuck in his jeans. He gasped and shuddered as the smell of slick abruptly filled the little cabin. "Shit," Eren moaned, eyes glazed over with lust, "Everyone is gonna smell it on me... I'm sorry, I couldn't help it..."

Levi's eyes dilated swiftly and his lids drooped as the heavily sweetened scent filled the area, the Alpha's rising up in eager accompaniment. He smiled as the Omega apologized and shook his head, rolling his hips up against the downward press of Eren's a moment before he was maneuvering him off his lap and settling him back onto the seat while he slid to his knees on the floor of the cabin.

"Don't be sorry sweetness. I'm pleased to have such a strong effect on you. S'alright if they smell it; I'll be with you and they'll keep the fuck away if they know what's good for them. Mm, let me take care of you," he murmured as he ran his hands up beneath the dress to peel the soiled panties off the other male, tucking them into his back pocket before he was bunching the material of the dress up and slinging Eren's legs over his shoulders and diving down to take the Omega's eager erection into his mouth while the fingers of his right hand slipped up to tease at the slick hole between plush cheeks.

"F-Fucking shit!" Eren cried out, flinching hard when his cock was enveloped by the wet heat of Levi's mouth and his hole twitched from the probing fingers. His hips twitched restlessly as he tried not to thrust up into Levi's mouth. "Levi... Ah... F-fuck," he moaned as his fingers threaded in the soft strands of the Alpha's undercut.

The Alpha hummed around the hot flesh in his mouth, relaxing his throat as best he could, brow furrowing in concentration as he laved attention along the underside with his tongue while his fingers abruptly thrust inside the tight slick channel Eren's body provided. He couldn't wait to be inside him once they got home, but for now, he'd settle for satisfying his Omega and cleaning him up, looking forward to devouring every bit of the sweetness Eren was providing.

He sank lower on the Omega's cock before backing off, applying suction as he moved, beginning to bob at a torturously slow pace, thrusting his fingers in and out in time with the motions of his mouth, keeping time in his head. Thank god they hadn't even made it around once yet on the ride.

He shifted on his knees and used his unoccupied hand to tilt Eren's hips up, letting his dick slip from his lips with a soft wet pop, panting harshly as he lapped at the underside down to the Omega's balls and further to slurp up the intoxicating excess of slick squelching out around his fingers, teasing his tongue between them and making appreciative growling sounds at the taste and feel of Eren.

Eren whined and squirmed under Levi's teasing tongue, becoming aware that he could not keep himself quiet and these boxes weren't soundproof. Releasing his hands from Levi's head he jammed his fingers in his mouth to suck on and began pulling his own hair making himself moan with pleasure as his eyes rolled back in his head. Levi's fingers continued to pull in and out while his tongue danced over the vibrating ring of Eren's hole and Eren was falling apart in the man's hands.

Levi hummed, happily lapping up the fresh slick while his unoccupied hand released its grip on the Omega's hip only to fist Eren's cock and stroke firmly. He thrust his other fingers in harder and faster, spreading them slightly to press his tongue inside further, pulling back to breathe and curling the digits to rub against the Omega's prostate intently before he was diving back in for another taste, rubbing the pad of his thumb over the head of Eren's cock as he did, working diligently to push his Omega over the edge before the ride came to an end.

Heat grew at a rapid pace in Eren's belly, and his hips started thrusting erratically into Levi's hand as the man tongued his entrance. His orgasm hit the Omega suddenly, his back arching as he cried out when his cock burst with white liquid, mostly caught by Levi's hand. He panted heavily after he removed his spit soaked fingers from his mouth and untangled his other hand from his hair. Eren fell back against the seat in a massive pile of satisfied content Omega.

Levi groaned when Eren came, lewd slurping noises sounding in the little compartment as he lapped up the access slick and withdrew his fingers from the clenching hole, being sure to lick them clean before he devoured the warm cum from his other hand and cleaned the excess from Eren's waning erection. Once he was certain he'd adequately tidied his boneless Omega up, he adjusted Eren's dress and slipped back into the seat, pulling the other male against his side while they both caught their breath. He ignored the insistent throbbing between his own legs in lieu of basking in pride for having been able to leave his Omega obviously satisfied and with enough time for them to catch the view from the top of the wheel on it's final pass before they descended back to the ground.

He could smell Eren's scent on himself and hummed lowly in approval, all too pleased to be covered in the thick scent of his Omega's arousal, his own overlaying it and he couldn't even be the least bit sorry for the next patron that entered the box they were using.

Eren was still blissed out, curling around his Alpha and nuzzling him with affection in the afterglow of his orgasm. He slipped his hand into Levi's as the man held him tight and they enjoyed the view from the top of the Ferris wheel.

Looking up at Levi, the lights of the ride dancing across Eren's bright green eyes, the Omega waited for the man to turn and look at him too. The next moment, Eren voiced the one thing he knew he shouldn't, but he couldn't keep it in any longer. "I think I'm falling in love with you Levi," he said, his heart pounding in his chest and his hand squeezing the Alpha's tighter. He didn't know how Levi would react, and it probably wouldn't be good, but Eren **needed** him to know.

Levi's breath hitched and his arm tightened around the Omega when Eren spoke the words that Levi had heard so many times before, but for some reason, hearing them from Eren was harder. They generally were the precursor to the death of the relationship, but the Alpha wasn't ready; it was too soon, damn it. Maybe he could just pretend it was said in the heat of the moment, a product of post orgasmic bliss... Yeah, that had to be it.

He ran his unoccupied hand through his tousled hair and let out a slow, heavy breath, unable to look at the Omega for fear of seeing the truth behind Eren's confession. "Don't say that sweetness... I'm not good enough for you. I definitely don't deserve it," he replied quietly, still holding the Omega tightly against his side, unwilling to let go even though he could feel his heart beating painfully in his chest and desperate denial played in his mind, blocking out the tiny voice that was attempting to convince him that it wasn't a bad thing if it was true. Even if Eren loved him, he'd said they didn't have to bond... It would be fine. Everything would be fine. And it wasn't like Levi felt the same because he didn't... He definitely didn't.

Sure, he liked Eren... The Omega was special and he felt for him, but it was just affection. Just affection...

Eren's eyes widened as hurt flashed across his face, but Levi didn't see it since he wouldn't look at the Omega. He nodded his head in acknowledgement of Levi's words, and slowly removed his hand from the Alpha's even though he didn't move the rest of his body away, continuing to allow Levi to hold him. Sure Levi hadn't rejected him, but he did reject Eren's feelings entirely like they didn't exist which was its own kind of awful. This was the first time Levi had ever treated him like some silly Omega. He couldn't show the Alpha how hurt he was or how much he wanted to cry. There was no way he would admit that it felt like the man had just stabbed him in the heart.

Levi could smell it, the change was so bitter that it was clear even over the heavy scent of lingering arousal in the small cabin and the Alpha bit the inside of his cheek harshly. Fuck... It had been the wrong thing to say. He'd known it even as he'd said it. It wasn't what anyone wanted to hear in response to a love confession even if it was true enough. Eren definitely deserved better; he deserved the world. Levi just wasn't meant to be the one to give it to him. Even if he were honest and admitted he might just be falling for the Omega too (which he definitely wasn't), it wouldn't matter in the end. His mother and father had loved each other once too...

"I'm sorry sweetness... I know that's not what you were hoping to hear and I know apologizing probably only makes it worse... Just," he paused to draw in a breath, considering what had been said during the week, the conversation with his mother and all the little things between them that had grown, all the things neither of them had been saying though they both **knew**. Even with all his denial, Levi couldn't lie and say that Eren wasn't different than any other Omega he'd ever had. Everything he felt when with the other male was exponentially more intense than it ever had been with anyone else... He just needed more time to figure it out. There wasn't supposed to be any rush and it was supposed to be easy and casual and it wasn't supposed to fucking hurt yet... "Can you just gimme some more time?"

Eren took a deep breath into his burning lungs, not realizing he had been holding it as he held in his tears. "Let's... Let's just forget about it... It was a stupid thing to say alright," he said, a smile stretched across his face that was maybe a little too wide. He knew he was stiff in Levi's arms, unable to relax as his heart beat so painfully, and he knew that Levi could feel his agitation, but he would hold it all in. He would hold in the pain and the hurt and the pressure. Eren knew that if he let it out, Levi wouldn't be his anymore and that would be so much worse.

The ride slowed to a stop once they reached the bottom once again and Eren stood up, ducking his head so that he could get through the small doorway. He smiled at the bored operator and made his way down the stairs, not looking back to see if Levi was following.

"I think the ride made me motion sick," Eren called with a cheerful voice over his shoulder, clutching his stomach, "I wanna go now."

Levi followed Eren out, still unable to look at him. It was so obvious he had fucked up and there was guilt and apprehension and he could feel a heavy knot in the pit of his stomach. And his chest felt tight like his throat and all he could do was nod when Eren made an excuse to leave. Why'd it have to turn out like this? Everything had been perfect and now those words were between them like broken glass or thorns and Levi knew if he crossed them, he was going to end up bloody. It was better to pretend they weren't there, but he didn't much feel like smiling. And why did he have to feel guilty? It wasn't his fault the Omega had left his heart open like that... He'd told him right from the start. But he couldn't even be angry. Everything was such a mess.

He ran his hand through his hair and followed a couple steps behind the Omega, trying to work out how he was supposed to salvage the evening. He opened Eren's door for him the same as always and slipped around to his side of the truck, exhaling a heavy breath before he too got into the vehicle, unprepared for just how tense the atmosphere was going to be. He wet his lips and shifted uncomfortably in his seat, fidgeting with the keys and stalling until he could get his mouth to fucking work. "Hey... Are you... Do you still want to come to my place?"

Eren had berated himself the whole way from the Ferris wheel to Levi's truck. How could he be so stupid and let something like that slip? He was fucking everything up and ruining a good evening because he was so fucking stupid. Eren could immediately tell how uncomfortable Levi was. Maybe the man didn't want him to come back to his place anymore after Eren had fucked up so royally.

"Um... I want to... But if you don't want me to, I could go back home... I don't mind," Eren said nervously, reaching across the seat for Levi's hand, but falling short, unable to bridge the distance all the way on his own.

The Alpha finally, **finally** looked at Eren, sidelong beneath the thick fringe of his lashes and he swallowed hard, hearing the raw nerves in Eren's voice. His gaze flickered to the hand that hesitated to touch and he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth, instinct clambering and pressing him to comfort the obviously upset and apprehensive Omega regardless of how distressed he himself was. He settled his hand over Eren's and gave it a gentle squeeze.

"I want you to come with me," he said quietly and it was sincere and thick in his mouth because he might as well have told the Omega that he felt the same because it was right there in the back of his throat and under the words. He couldn't even pretend it was because he was hoping that he would still get to fuck Eren when they were back at his place because he wasn't... He didn't want to sleep alone in his bed that already smelled like Eren and he didn't want to be awake all night remembering the hurt in the other male's voice and in his pretty eyes, the hurt he'd put there.

He brushed his thumb over the Omega's knuckles and turned his gaze back to the road as they left the carnival lights behind them.


	12. Water Damage

 

The smell of baking wafted through Eren's house as the Omega put the finishing touches on his freshly iced cupcakes. It had been a week since the carnival and it was already time for his house warming party and Eren had gone all out. The entire backyard was decorated and looked amazing along with way more food than was needed for the amount of people that were coming.

After what had happened at the carnival, Eren and Levi's relationship had become a little more awkward and they were a lot more reserved around each other; dancing around the problem completely. They were acting like the whole thing hadn't happened when they both knew it had. Except it didn't really change anything; they still went on dates and fucked like animals and spent every free moment together. Eren kept telling himself that with time, the problem would go away completely and his fuck up would be forgotten.

He heard a knock on his front door and trotted over. He knew it must be Levi since they still had a while before his family and friends from Shiganshina would be arriving.

Eren opened the door with a grin, "You're early, Alpha. Eager to meet my family then?" He immediately folded himself in Levi's arms and scent marked himself as he breathed in his Alpha's scent. He could never get enough of it, and if the man never loved him, he wasn't sure he would get over his addiction.

"Mm, eager to see **you**... You're family, not so much. I'm afraid of your mother," Levi answered as he wrapped one arm around the Omega and returned the affectionate scenting familiarly. He lifted the heavy bag in his other hand, "My ma forced her homemade pomegranate iced tea on me for this, hope that's alright," he said by way of explanation.

"Don't be afraid of her... Just don't fight her... Whatever mind fucking she does, you just gotta let it happen," Eren said with a wicked smile, kissing the man on the cheek and looking curiously at the bag. He had wanted to invite Levi's family as well, but he didn't think that would be appropriate so he’d chickened out. "She's such a sweetheart. I'll have to thank her next time I go for lunch... I haven't even seen her since you introduced us... I always seem to work through lunch lately. Hope she's not mad at me." Eren shrugged his shoulders and stepped out of Levi's arms, heading back to the kitchen.

The Alpha waved his now unoccupied hand dismissively. "Nah, she's not mad. she knows you're some big shot in the suit world. She did say she hopes you'll come have another tea date with her soon though. Apparently you are much better company than I am," he said with a goofy half smile on his lips, following the Omega out to the kitchen.

"Mmn, it smells good in here," he commented as he set the iced tea into Eren's fridge to keep it chilled before he was hovering over the cupcakes, reaching to pilfer one as he eyed the other male. He was intently ignoring the apprehension he could feel knotting his guts. Eren wanted him at this party, had invited him weeks ago and that was fine, but because of the words that had settled like a silent barrier between them, he was almost dreading meeting the other male's family; it felt a little too much like a serious step in a relationship that he wasn't so sure he could handle.

Eren scowled and smacked Levi on the arm when he noticed a cupcake missing. "Can't you wait? Everyone will be here soon," he said, putting the finishing touches on a tray of cucumber finger sandwiches. There was a loud knock on the door, and Eren jumped, clapping his hands in excitement. "They're here!" he said joyously as he pranced to the door once again.

"Eren!" greeted an exuberant Carla Jaeger when the Omega opened the door, immediately tackling him with a hug. "Your house is gorgeous, even better than the photos! I still think you should have stayed in Shiganshina though," she said, nuzzling her son and putting her protective momma scent on him, effectively covering Levi's. Whether it was deliberate or not, Eren likely would never know; Carla Jaeger was crafty.

Levi grunted when the Omega slapped his arm though it didn't actually hurt and licked frosting from his fingers and lips. He inhaled a deep breath and let it out slowly when the knock sounded and Eren went to answer it. He leaned in the doorway to the backyard idly, waiting for the Omega's guests to be led in and down the hall, nostrils flaring and scenting the protective scent Eren's mother had settled over him and was immediately set further on edge. It was a warning if he'd ever seen one, even if it wasn't necessarily conscious.

He smiled roguishly and straightened his posture, stepping forward to introduce himself, "You must be Eren's mother. I'm Levi Ackerman; it's nice to finally meet you," he greeted in a sincere and friendly tone though he felt far more nervous than he cared to admit.

"Levi," Carla said, her smile dropping, "So you're the Alpha that refuses to bond my son?"

Eren immediately stuttered out a loud, "M-Mom!"

Carla broke out into raucous laughter, bending forward and clutching her sides. "Holy fuck, you should have seen your face," she said between chuckles before she waved the Alpha forward and hugged him tightly. "You're as adorable as Eren said you were," she said then gave him a kiss on both cheeks.

Levi's mouth opened and his stomach dropped when the woman's first words were exactly what he had been dreading only to flutter intensely when the woman began to laugh and pulled him in for a hug. He blinked, arms slowly raising to return the embrace lightly, an abrupt chuckle of relief sounding from him. "Jesus Christ, Eren warned me you were going to fuck with my head, but I wasn't expecting it right from the first hello," he said, a pink tint to his ears that was the only real indication of his embarrassment over her words and his own reaction. He stepped back and looked the woman over, a genuine smile tugging at his lips, "I see where Eren got his good looks from," he complimented charmingly, glancing between mother and son.

Carla gasped as she rounded on Eren. "Eren! I don't mind fuck people! I _tease_. There is a difference," she chastised, wagging her finger at her son.

She turned back to Levi and placed her hands on the man's shoulders. "Mm would you look at you! If I was thirty years younger and unbonded," she said with a giggle, looking the man up and down. "Eren sweetie, you should really consider getting a surrogate and using Levi as the sperm donor. I want my grandbabies to be adorable."

Eren stood frozen, unable to speak with his mouth wide open. His mother had this uncanny way of getting directly under his skin. This party was going to be **interesting**.

Levi shifted, ears burning as he averted his gaze and rubbed the back of his neck with one hand, "Uh hah, I dunno about that. I'm not exactly good father material though I'm sure Eren would make a great mom," he replied awkwardly, feeling oddly out of his element. It must have been how Eren had felt upon meeting his mother and being put on the spot. Why did they have to be so damn pushy?

"Thanks for the compliment though and no offense, but I'm glad you aren't unbonded and after me; I'm rather fond of your son," he said after a second, smiling and trying to cover his awkwardness. He felt distinctly like a teenager that was being embarrassed by his first date's well-meaning parents. God help him...

"Of course you're fond of my son. He gets his ass from his mother," Carla said cheekily. Her eyes softened and she patted Levi's cheek gently. "Oh you'll be fine sweetheart. You'll make a wonderful daddy for my grandchildren." She turned to her son and ordered, "Eren, stop standing there like a gaping fish and go help your father with the bags. I want to speak to Levi alone."

Eren sighed loudly, giving Levi an apologetic look and headed out the door to find his father. Only Grisha Jaeger could rein in his mate.

"Levi dear, I'm sure Eren has told you that I'm a psychiatrist, correct?" she said, her white heels clicking as she made her way towards the kitchen, clearly expecting Levi to follow her.

Levi swallowed hard and tried his best to act casual, feeling incredibly awkward left alone with the woman. He followed her to the kitchen and went directly to the refrigerator. "He mentioned it, yeah. Would you like some iced tea?" he offered nonchalantly, pulling the large pitcher of the mentioned beverage from the fridge and moving to pull a couple of glasses from the cupboard familiarly.

"Yes, that would be lovely dear," she said, snatching up a cucumber sandwich and eating it daintily around her polished manicured nails. "So as I was saying, I'm a psychiatrist, but I mostly deal with pediatrics like my mate. But I have a colleague who specializes in mating and he has done a number of studies on couples who forgo a bond, but still stay together for life. I told Eren all about it and showed him that relationships really don't need a bond to succeed, _you're welcome_. I even brought a couple of the more useful papers for you to read," she said, taking a glass from Levi and taking a sip of the cool beverage.

"I'm going to be frank with you, Levi," Carla forewarned, leaning forward on the island counter and eyeing Levi intently, "I want nothing more than your relationship with my son to succeed. Eren... While I love him... He is attracted to assholes. You're the best person he's ever dated and the second you break up, he **will** date a douche bag. If I have to put up with him dating another Jean Kirstein, I'm going to scream."

Levi leaned back against the counter behind him, his glass halfway to his mouth and stilled by the woman's words, unsure what to make of them. Fuck, that sounded like a lot of pressure. Levi's own mother had been talking adamantly about bonding and here Eren's mother was talking about mated life without it and grandchildren that the Alpha was absolutely one hundred percent certain he would be terrible at raising. They'd only been seeing each other a month for Christ's sake and it was **supposed** to be casual... He swallowed thickly and wet his lips before speaking a little uncertainly, "Um... Thanks I think?"

He ran his unoccupied hand through his hair and took a long swig of his iced tea mostly to stall until he could figure out what he should say. This woman made him acutely uncomfortable, as if she could see right through him and he didn't want to lie to her, but what the hell was he supposed to say to that? _Sorry to burst your bubble Carla, but your son already told me he was falling in love with me and I told him I don't deserve it. Now we just fuck and pretend everything's just fine when it's really not and we could really do without everyone's fucking pressure..._ Yeah, that would go over just fucking swimmingly, wouldn't it? And now he felt twice as guilty for planning to eventually break things off and concerned for his Omega's future. Was there seriously no other Alpha that would treat Eren like the princess he was?

"I can't really make any promises... I never really wanted kids and all that and I know he does... And really, we've only been going out a short period of time, it's a little early for all that, isn't it?"

Carla sighed, slumping a little where she stood. "You're right you're right. I shouldn't be pressuring you. It's just... Eren's fucking happy for once. He also told me you were pretty nervous about meeting me and if I'd approve of you... So I figured I'd tell you that you have my support. Forgive me for being overeager, but you're good for my son. And seriously... Five bucks says if you guys break up, he will end up dating the biggest asshole he can find in this city."

"Carla," a gentle, but low Alpha voice sounded, a little irritation lacing the tone. Grisha Jaeger entered the kitchen, frowning at his wife. "We talked about this. You can't always meddle. Eren is a big boy." The man turned to Levi and held out his hand, "Grisha Jaeger. Sorry about my mate... She has just been so excited to meet you. I hope you can forgive her."

Levi felt even more pressured after her answering words. He was going to disappoint her and everyone else; he was positive of that, whether it be sooner or later; he knew he wouldn't be able to maintain Eren's happiness. He was bound to fuck up, just like he already had, but worse. They were already on thin ice as it was, he was sure of it. Ignoring it wasn't fixing it and they both knew it deep down, but neither one of them was ready to let go yet.

Levi smiled tightly when the older Alpha made his entrance into the kitchen and Levi was relieved for the interruption. This had all been such a bad fucking idea. He shook the man's hand firmly, "Levi. It's good to meet you and it's alright; there's nothing to forgive. I kind of had the impression that Eren wasn't used to being treated the way I've been treating him. I'm happy I make him happy, really. I uh, would just rather not rush things."

“Yes, I agree. Eren should focus on advancing his career. You kids are young,” Grisha said, a gentle quality to his voice, but an edge behind his words. He obviously wasn't as supportive as Carla was, but he knew it was none of his business.

“Levi!” Eren called, walking into the house and to the kitchen with his arm around a tall Alpha and the other around a short blonde haired Omega, “I want you to meet my two best friends, Jean and Armin!”

Carla perceptively growled from where she was and Grisha immediately put his hand on her back and began leading her out of the kitchen. “Carla honey, let's let the kids catch up and view the backyard by ourselves,” he said as he pushed the woman towards the back door and then outside.

Levi turned from Eren's parents as Grisha pressed his mate outside and Eren called his Alpha's attention to another two of his guests. His jaw twitched as he forced a pleasant smile on his face. This was the Alpha that had abandoned Eren after he'd learned of the Omega's infertility and Levi had a hard time finding any forgiveness for the transgression.

"It's good to finally meet you both. I've heard a lot about the two of you from Eren. I'm Levi," he introduced, shifting his weight unconsciously. He felt so awkward to be meeting all of Eren's family and friends and he had no idea how he was supposed to talk to them, especially after the first incredibly awkward conversation with Carla. He just wanted to take Eren to his bedroom and lock the both of them in until everyone else was gone.

Armin's blue eyes scrutinized Levi up and down for several long seconds before he held out his hand for Levi to shake. "It's nice to meet you too! I'm Armin and I work with Eren's father at the hospital. Eren asked me to take some trays outside, but I'm sure we'll be able to talk more later," he said curtly before he ducked out from under Eren's arm then grabbed the cupcakes and the sandwiches and made his way outside.

Jean also held his hand out. "Hey, I'm Jean. My mate will be here shortly, he just had to drop our kids off with their grandparents."

Shaking Jean, Eren pouted. "Why didn't you just bring them, Horseface! I haven't seen them in ages... They are gonna forget their Uncle Eren."

Jean just chuckled as he pushed Eren away gently. "Marco really needed a day with just adults. He's been excited about this since you mentioned it."

Eren harrumphed and crossed his arms. "I guess that's fine. But you have to bring them to visit another time."

Levi shook hands with the two politely, squeezing the other Alpha's perhaps a tad tighter than was necessary, but neither of them said anything about it. He smiled and nodded easily when Armin immediately excused himself and fought the urge to growl at Jean's close proximity to Eren.

He managed to keep it from escaping his throat and contented himself instead with stepping over to Eren, slipping an arm around his slim waist and leaning into him, scenting him unconsciously to remove the smell of the others, especially the other Alpha. Trying to be polite, he asked Jean, "You've got two right? How old are they?"

Jean's eyes flickered to Levi's arm around Eren's waist then back up and the Alpha forced a smile at Levi. "Our oldest is three and our youngest is a year and a half." Glancing at Eren, Jean rubbed the back of his neck as he looked away, "Our third will be here in five months."

Eren gasped then squealed. "Marco's pregnant? Again?"

"Yeah," Jean said, blushing and looking down.

"Holy fuck, congratulations Jean! Why the hell am I only learning about this now?"

Jean shrugged. "Marco didn't want to tell anyone until he was in his second trimester."

Levi gave Eren a squeeze around the middle. "Congratulations. You must be proud to have such a **fertile** mate," the Alpha said with an underlying bite to the tone.

He turned his gaze from Jean to Eren, "We should probably get the rest of the food and drinks outside and you can show off your yard to everyone," he said, already wanting to change the subject from children. The topic only irritated him and made him feel guilty for some reason.

Jean's eyes widened with shock as he stood frozen by Levi's comment. Eren glanced over his shoulder and gave Levi a look that said 'be nice' before he said, "Yeah... You're right. Can you grab the iced tea? Jean and I will grab the rest of the food." He stepped out of Levi's arms and started grabbing shit from the kitchen to take outside.

Levi popped his jaw defiantly at the look Eren gave him, the Omega's message clear. He _was_ being nice... Nice enough, anyway. He hadn't growled or thrown the other Alpha out which he seriously wanted to do. He didn't argue though and did as his Omega requested.

The three made their way outside to place the drinks and food on the metal outdoor dining table then took seats around the couches as Eren handed out pre-filled champagne glasses.

"Levi," Carla waved at the man, "The yard looks marvelous! You did all of this by yourself?"

Once out in the yard, Levi sipped his drink, meandering over to Eren's mother when she called him and waved him closer. He stood a few feet from her, cocking one hip lazily and folding one arm across his chest while his other held his drink. "Thank you for the compliment, though Eren's the one that picked out most of the colours and all of the furniture. And yes, I work alone a majority of the time. Outdoor landscaping is generally what I do, though I'm skilled with indoor renovations as well. Eren's already begun a long Honey-do-list for me for inside," he said pleasantly in response to the older woman, his gaze flickering from her to scan over the rest of the guests and his Omega.

Carla beamed at Levi and took a large swig from her champagne, "Eren," she called to her son, "It must be nice to finally have an Alpha who’s good with his _hands_." She sent a pointed glare at Jean who was standing awkwardly by the food and he noticeably swallowed, but said nothing. Eren just rolled his eyes, choosing to ignore his mother's comment and continued chatting with Armin and his father on the other side of the gigantic outdoor couch set. Carla turned back to Levi, "You did an excellent job. What will you be doing in the house?"

A broad, self-satisfied smile spread across Levi's lips in response to Carla's obvious rib aimed at Eren's ex, but he didn't comment on it, not wanting to incite Eren's wrath if he made anymore nasty comments of his own towards Jean.

He met Carla's gaze once again, happy enough to talk about work rather than any of the more uncomfortable topics that had come up previously. "Mm, the basement is first on the agenda and then he wants bathrooms redone both downstairs and on the main floor. That is purely my fault though, so I can't complain. I let him see mine at home and he fell in love with it. Not too sure if there's anything else yet, but I'm sure he'll come up with some more. I'm fairly sure I've been enlisted to maintain the yard since he's too busy to do it himself," he said conversationally.

Carla immediately frowned. "Oh no... Don't tell me Eren is killing himself at work again... Is he sleeping? He better be eating. I'd ask him myself, but he will just wave me off like he always does. He's going to work himself into an early grave..."

Levi shook his head, frowning as well, "Don't worry. I'm taking care of him. I make sure he's fed and sleeps and relaxes. He's a spoiled princess, trust me," he assured, glancing over at the Omega in question, affection warming the mercury depths.

"Thank you Levi. I really appreciate it," Carla said with a wide smile and nodding her head.

"Marco!" Eren suddenly squealed as a very tan and freckled Omega walked out the back door.

"Hey Eren," Marco said with a smile, "Sorry I'm late. I knocked, but you guys were all out here so I let myself in."

"You're glowing," Eren said, standing up and dragging Armin to take turns hugging the Omega. Carla quickly followed and the four Omegas started to chat animatedly about Marco's pregnancy, completely ignoring the three Alphas.

There was an awkward silence between the three men before a phone sounded.

Grisha sighed with relief. "I gotta take this; it's from the hospital," he said, retreating into the house and leaving Jean and Levi alone on the couch.

"So..." Jean said, watching the Omegas and taking a sip of the beer he'd managed to trade his champagne for, "Yard looks decent."

Levi was watching Eren interacting with the other Omegas, an unconscious soft smile curling on his mouth before Jean drew his attention. The smile faded as he turned his gaze to the other Alpha.

He took a sip of his own beer and hummed. "Mm, it's what he wanted with a few added features that I thought would suit him," he paused before he continued, gaze half lidded in an almost bored expression, "What do you do for a living?"

"I'm an investment banker. Me and Eren got our business masters together while Armin was in med school. Shit, that was a long time ago," Jean said, smiling at his two friends who were fawning over his mate.

"Mm, sounds boring. No offense, but I couldn't sit behind a desk everyday. Were you two still together then?" The shorter Alpha replied idly, attempting to sound pleasant, fighting hard to keep the bite from his voice.

“Uh yeah. We broke up halfway through our masters... But there were no hard feelings so it wasn't that bad to finish school together. Eren even introduced me to Marco," Jean said, frowning and rubbing the back of his neck, clearly uncomfortable.

Levi made a noncommittal sound. He wasn't surprised that Eren had introduced the two and had hidden the hurt that he had over the breakup from his friend. He could believe Eren was happy for Jean and his mate, but he knew it was harder for Eren than he let on.

"That doesn't surprise me. He's too nice," he replied, taking another swig of his beer, not elaborating further.

Jean sighed, took a giant swig of beer, wiped his mouth, then turned to look at Levi head on. "Okay... Look dude... I'm the last person on earth who should be saying anything about Eren's relationships... But he's still one of my best friends," he said, scratching the back of his head hard trying to search for the right words, "I just wanna say... If you're not sure about him... If you don't think you guys can last or you're not right for each other... Don't drag it out. He won't let it go even if he's hurting. He's just so fucking stubborn. Me and him were together for eight years... We fought all the fuckin' time. By the end of it, I was looking for any way to get out just so we wouldn't end up hating each other’s guts..."

Jean sighed again and sat back rubbing his hands over his face before he continued, "What I did was fucked up. I'm a fucking asshole and I don't deserve Eren as a best friend. Just please don't do to him what I did... He deserves love and his happily ever after. If you're it, that's great... But don't be a roadblock."

Levi's jaw twitched and a scowl twisted his pale lips. "Yeah, you really shouldn't be saying anything," he set his beer down on the table before him with more force than was necessary. What was with Eren's family and friends? What exactly had the Omega said to them about him? They all seemed to think he was supposed to be permanent... He was never supposed to be permanent.

"But since you're his best friend, and fuck knows why, you should know it's not yours or anyone else's fucking business what I am to Eren or what he is to me. It's between us and we have an agreement. I'm not anything special and I'm not a fucking roadblock," he said in a low tone as he stood up and ran his hand through his hair, feeling more antsy by the second.

What right did Jean have to say shit to him after what he'd done? Levi'd never promised Eren anything more. The Omega knew what this was from the very start. Levi was never going to be his forever. He wasn't a husband and he wasn't a father; he was fun and he was **temporary**. He wasn't supposed to be anything more and yeah, he liked Eren, maybe more than he'd ever liked an Omega before, but so what... He wasn't going to change. And fuck these expectations and warnings and all this fucking pressure and fuck this guilt. Enough was enough. He just wanted to be with Eren; he was here for the Omega after all.

Jean frowned back. "Yeah you have an 'agreement'. Fuck buddies or whatever... I've only seen you guys together for like a couple hours and I can even see he's attached. His mom is fucking planning your damn bonding for fuck's sake. You're acting like you're temporary... If you're fucking temporary then you don't deserve him at all. Think about what I said man. And think how the fuck it's gonna affect Eren when you break up." He didn't wait for Levi's reply, just got up, passed the Omegas and stormed into the house.

Eren saw Jean pass, and looked back at Levi; immediately rushing over to the man when he saw his face. "Hey... Are you okay? Did Jean say something stupid? I'm sorry," he said, hovering beside Levi, his scent rising with concern and trying to soothe his Alpha.

Levi sighed heavily when Eren came to his side, reaching for him and leaning into the Omega, pressing his face in against Eren's neck and inhaling deeply. This was why he was here. And Jean had a point... And Levi knew it. Eren **was** attached. He closed his eyes and nosed under Eren's ear.

"It's fine... I think maybe I should go. I don't want to ruin your party sweetness," he murmured, voice muffled against Eren's skin. He didn't want to leave the Omega, but it was probably better than starting a fight.

Eren pulled back to look at Levi's face, mouth ready to protest, but the words died on his tongue and he swallowed them. "O-Okay. I'll see you later then," he said quietly as he kissed Levi softly on the cheek.

Levi brushed his knuckles over Eren's cheek lightly and gave him a small pained smile, "Yeah, I'll come back later or you can come to my place." He pulled the other male in for a proper kiss on the mouth before he was pulling away, "Tell everyone it was nice to meet them, hm?"

"Yeah I will," Eren said, giving a small wave of his hand, but looking down and not watching as Levi went out the back gate.

Carla was immediately by Eren's side, smelling his distressed scent and hovering over the Omega. "Eren... What happened?" she asked, concerned, her scent trying to soothe her son.

Eren brushed her off. "You all fucking chased him away," he growled before he stormed into the house, ditching his own party.

Levi growled under his breath as he gripped the steering wheel hard enough that his fingers went numb and he probably sped as he drove home, but he hardly cared. His head was a fucking mess and his instincts were all over the place, warring with his mind and his chest **hurt**. It wasn't supposed to hurt. That was why it was supposed to be light and casual and fun; so that it wouldn't fucking hurt. There was no way he could live up to the expectations everyone seemed to have already. There was no way he could and even if Eren said everything was alright, that he didn't mind not bonding anymore, wasn't that just another way of saying he wanted more than what they had now? It still implied he wanted Levi for a lot longer than anticipated; it sounded a lot more serious than what he'd signed up for to start with.

And that was probably his own fault too. He'd let Eren fall for him, made it easy for him because Levi liked him and he'd never been the type of Alpha Eren was used to. The very thing that charmed Omegas into his bed was his greatest flaw because they always wanted to keep him in the end and he was never supposed to be more than a stand in. And now he felt trapped. Everything had been alright before and sure, things had been a little strained after the carnival, but it might have been alright eventually, but all of this... And he wasn't fucking ready to give Eren up, and he **hated** to admit it, but Jean was right... He should let the beautiful Omega go before he ruined him.

When he got home, he let Phoenix out though the dog was reluctant to leave his side, sensing his distress, but he eventually went out into the backyard when Levi went out as well. He sat on his back steps and rested his arms on his knees, fingers dangling in the open space before him while he closed his eyes and hung his head. He'd only just left and he shouldn't, but he wanted to see Eren. And that right there... Eren wasn't the only one attached. What the fuck was he going to do?

Only two hours later and Eren was racing to Levi's house, running up to his front door and knocking. He knew that Levi was upset, and he had a bloody lip from trying to make Jean tell him what the fuck had happened.

Phoenix began barking and galloping around the yard like crazy and Levi couldn't hear the knocking at the front door, but the dog's intensity was enough to know he had a visitor. "Christ 'Nix, calm down, I got it," he grumbled as he pushed himself up on limbs that had grown stiff from sitting in one position too long. He dusted himself off and made his way through his house to open the front door that wasn't even locked.

His brow furrowed in concern as soon as he laid eyes on the Omega, his sharp eyes drawn to the slight swell and split in Eren's lip. He reached for him immediately, cupping his jaw tenderly with one hand and thumbing beneath the injured lip, "What the fuck happened?"

Eren waved Levi's hand away then dove into the man's arms, nosing into the warmth of Levi's neck to inhale his scent. "Jean's right hook got better since I've been away... I got him back way worse, so it's okay."

Levi's arms went around the Omega when Eren pressed in against his chest and buried his nose against the Alpha's neck and a dark growl vibrated from his throat. "He hit you?" He asked lowly, his scent flaring angrily, protective, possessive and aggravated. It didn't matter if Eren had returned the hit with worse, Levi had half a mind to find the other Alpha and lay him out flat.

He tightened his hold on Eren and pulled him inside his house, kicking the door closed behind them. "What the fuck is **wrong** with that asshole?"

"Well... I did hit him first," Eren said sheepishly, but enjoyed his Alpha's protective and aggressive scent nonetheless. He started to purr as he nuzzled into Levi, happy with the attention that soothed his previous worry. "He always has his head stuck up his ass. We've been getting into fist fights since primary school... Although it hasn't happened in quite a while."

Levi shook his head, not caring for the excuses at all. "I don't give a fuck; he shouldn't have fucking hit you. What did you see in him? And for so fucking long too? What did he do to make you hit him in the first place?" He didn't like it. He shouldn't have left, obviously. He rubbed his hands up and down Eren's back in unconscious soothing motions that were as comforting to himself as they were to the Omega.

"He wouldn't fucking tell me what he said to piss you off and make you leave... So I got pissed off and hit him. Which he deserved for upsetting you," Eren explained with a shrug. He pulled back a bit to look Levi in the eye, "As for why I dated him, that's a lot longer of a story so if you actually wanna hear it, we better get comfortable. "

Levi pulled back from Eren and ran one hand through his hair, feeling somewhat responsible for the fight that had apparently been started by his Omega. He sighed through his teeth and nodded, "Alright, you wanna relax in bed or something?"

"Yeah sure," Eren said with a smile. He wrapped Levi's arm around his waist and they walked together up to the loft. "Mind if I borrow some clothes? I don't wanna lay in bed with my jeans on, and since I'm spending the night, I'll need a toothbrush," he asked as he made his way towards Levi's dresser.

"The one you used last time is still in the bathroom," the Alpha replied, watching Eren pull open his dresser familiarly while Levi began peeling his own clothing off, fingers stilling on the fly of his jeans as his own words struck a chord in him. When had it all become so natural for him to have Eren in his house, helping himself to his clothing and when had he decided it was alright to start keeping a toothbrush for the Omega when he'd always refused to allow it with any of his past partners? He couldn't answer; he didn't know... He swallowed and wet his lips, giving his head a little shake before he refocused his attention on removing his pants, refusing to dwell on just how many of his own rules he'd broken for Eren already.

Eren pulled off his shirt and undid his jeans to shimmy out of them. He pulled on Levi's gigantic green shirt with his grey boxer briefs then walked down the stairs and into Levi's master bath to brush his teeth. He didn't notice the rise in the man's anxiety though as he spit toothpaste into the sink and went back to the room to climb into bed.

Levi followed Eren to the bathroom and leaned in the doorway, watching him brush his teeth silently, doing the same once Eren had returned to the loft, then let Phoenix in and fed him, joining the Omega once he'd finished.

Laying on his side with his head held up by his hand, elbow propped on the pillow, Eren said, "Today was exhausting... Makes me remember why I moved away to begin with..."

The Alpha laid on his side across from Eren in a mirrored pose, head resting on his palm with fingers threaded through his dark fringe. He snorted in response to Eren's words, "No shit. And I thought my mom was bad. Could you imagine if she'd been there today? There'd have been no escape..." He paused, gaze flickering from the Omega to the space between them and he fiddled with the bedding with his unoccupied hand, "Sorry I bailed."

"Yeah..." Eren agreed, wincing and rubbing the back of his head, "I wanted to invite your mom... But I figured my mom would make it weird... I seriously had no idea she was gonna react that way... I kinda thought she'd hate you like she did all my other boyfriends... You weren't the only one completely blindsided by her... I'm not happy you left, but I understand why you did. No need to apologize."

"S'okay... I'm glad she didn't hate me. Considering how she reacted to your ex, I feel a little lucky. I'm an asshole, but apparently, I'm a prince compared to Jean and the other Alphas you've dated before," he said, looking back at Eren, mercury warming as he stared across the space between them, unconsciously unwinding now that it was just the two of them in the familiar and comfortable atmosphere of his bed.

"Yeah, I don't know why she's hated all of my boyfriends... I figured she just had a complex or something. She hated Jean long before we dated though, because of how we met," Eren said with a giggle, his head leaning back into the pillow as his arm reached out towards Levi, resting in the sheets between them.

The Alpha threaded his fingers between Eren's without much thought, watching the contrast between their skin tones, a half smile playing on his mouth and he hummed. "Yeah? How'd you meet? You must have been pretty young then, right?"

Eren's thumb began to rub soothing circles into Levi's hand as he thought back to first meeting Jean. "It was the first day of kindergarten... Jean decided that since I was an Omega I could only play house and not cops and robbers. So I beat him up and got suspended. My mom has hated him ever since,” Eren said with a devilish grin, clearly proud of himself.

Levi chuckled, "I bet you were a cute kid. No wonder your mom hates him. He was obviously a bad influence on you," he said idly, an image of a much smaller brunette with big green eyes and that look of determination that Eren sometimes got on his face formed in Levi's mind. Definitely a cute kid.

"I was probably more of a bad influence on him then he was on me," Eren said with a shrug. "You know... Jean's a good guy... A great mate and good husband. But I'm glad we broke up. I wasn't at the time, but now I can see that it was the right decision."

Levi hummed, "I'm glad you didn't stay with him. He obviously wasn't the right Alpha for you," he agreed, reaching across the bed to brush his thumb under the Omega's split lip before he shifted closer to the other male, closing the distance between them on the mattress. "He's a shithead in my opinion."

"Yeah, he is," Eren said with a sigh, "Still love him though. Always be one of my best friends." The Omega wrapped his arms around Levi and hugged him tight, content to be in his Alpha's arms. "This is nice. I should just never leave your bed. Life is annoying. I should be a sex slave instead," he said jokingly.

The Alpha chuckled, wrapping his arms around the Omega in return and holding him tightly and tucking his nose behind Eren's ear. "Hm, I would have no complaints with that. You can live in my bed sweetness," he hummed quietly, nuzzling along the fine hairs behind the other male's ear.

Eren leaned his head forward and nibbled on the man's scent gland, making it produce more of Levi's citrus and sea salt scent that he lapped up slowly and gently. "Let's just stay here forever like this," Eren said with a hum as he continued to make little marks on Levi's pale skin.

Levi made a low purring sound in his chest and shifted on the bed to accommodate the Omega, tilting his head to the side to allow Eren as much access to his throat as possible, rubbing his hands up and down Eren's back and sides. Forever might be nice if it was right here, just the two of them and no one else, no expectations, pressure or words that came between them. He held Eren tighter... Thinking about that only made Levi realize it was probably time to let Eren go. Levi was never meant to be forever. Forever was too complicated.

Eren smelled the apprehension in the air, so he sat up a bit to look down on Levi. "You okay?" he asked, his green eyes filled with concern.

The Alpha nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine sweetness. A little messed up from today, but I'll be fine. Let's sleep, I'm beat," he said, brushing off the odd ache in his chest and gut. Eren was right here in his bed... So why did it feel like he was already gone?

Eren lifted his hand to pet Levi's hair, and kissed the man sweetly on the lips to try and soothe his worries. "Okay... Don't worry about it. Everything's fine," Eren said, giving Levi one last nuzzle before he settled down beside him, his head on his chest and arm around his waist.

Levi held Eren close, crooning huskily and petting the Omega's hair to lull him to sleep while his own mind wandered. Just a little more... He didn't want to let him go yet, but he could taste the end already, bitter on the back of his tongue and heavy in the pit of his stomach. He should be glad that it had been so good and that it wasn't dragging. Most of his relationships didn't last past three months and usually that was too long for the Alpha, but with Eren, even a month was too long and yet it wasn't long enough. Three months would break them both. He didn't want to hurt him anymore than he already had and yet he couldn't say the words. It shouldn't be that hard; he'd said goodbye so many times before... It was better if the end came sooner, wasn't it?


	13. Controlled Demolitions

A few days later and it was the weekend once again. Eren was up early like usual, but he had no motivation to do anything except stay wrapped up in blankets and watch dog videos on his laptop. The Omega was grumpy. He, for the most part, hadn't been able to spend any time with Levi in the last week because they were both busy with work. It really sucked and Eren was lonely and whiny. At least he knew the man was coming today to start on the basement. He was sure he could get Levi to spend some time with him as well.

Eren heard a knock at his door and he rolled his eyes. He'd told Levi a million times just to come in without knocking, but the Alpha always refused. Pulling his multiple blankets around himself, he went to the door and opened it with a frown then shuffled away so Levi could enter. "Hurry up, it's cold," Eren said with a whine, making his way back to the couch.

The Alpha's brow furrowed and his nostrils flared as he scented the Omega when the bundled male answered the door. There was something different, a sweetness that was more potent than usual and he couldn't quite place it. It was familiar, yet not and alluring, but he brushed it off as he came inside, a heavy bag of tools in his hand. He set it by the stairs leading down to the basement and went into the living room to properly greet his Omega.

He bent to press a kiss against the side of Eren's mouth, "You alright sweetness? You sick or something?" he asked, concern lacing his tone as he brushed his knuckles along one flushed cheek.

"Just tired and cold and I want cuddles," he huffed in annoyance, but nuzzled further into the man's hand. "I know you have some work to do, but I need attention later, alright?" Eren said even though he wanted attention _now_.

Levi frowned, but nodded. "Alright," he agreed, finding it difficult to leave Eren even though he had to and the Omega had given him permission. He pressed another kiss against the other male's temple and ruffled his hair before he forced himself away from him entirely. "If you need anything just call, you know where I'll be," he said before he turned stiffly on his heel and made his way down to the basement to begin the renovations Eren had asked for.

Eren whined quietly to himself as he watched Levi leave, but he refused to ask for the Alpha to come back. Sullenly, he picked himself up off the couch and made his way to his bedroom to curl up and have a nap. But when Eren got there and laid down, he couldn't get comfortable. No matter how many times he rearranged his pillows, his bed just felt wrong.

Frustrated, he went to his closet and grabbed every blanket he owned and dumped them on his bed. He then went around the house and collected every pillow, blanket, and soft fuzzy items to put on his bed and fling across his room. He did all of this in a daze, not realizing what was happening even though it had happened so many times in his life.

Finally, surrounded by a large mound of blankets, Eren was able to fall asleep, content with the arrangement of his room.

It was only a couple hours later that Eren woke up to severe cramps in his abdomen and slick soaking the bed beneath him. His chills had finally abated and he was hot. So hot, but he didn't want to leave his blankets. His clothes on the other hand, were ripped from his body, too scratchy and annoying on his skin.

He panted and whined, unable to think clearly. Where was his Alpha?

"Levi," Eren cried out desperately, squirming in his nest, "Levi, I need you... LEVI!"

The Alpha jerked, straightening up as he heard a sharp cry and everything in him pulled him away from what he was doing. He dropped the tools in his hands and bolted up the stairs, taking the steps two at a time. His chest heaved and nostrils flared as he came to stand in the doorway to Eren's bedroom, pupils dilating rapidly as the scent of slick and heat washed over him in potent waves. And he knew what it was... He should have guessed from the oddly familiar and alluring scent he'd first smelled earlier, but he'd not realized. Eren had said his heat was likely approaching, but the Alpha had expected more forewarning closer to the actual event. It was too soon... He wasn't prepared.

He'd meant to tell Eren that maybe he shouldn't spend it with him, had meant to break things off between them before then, but it was too late now. His body reacted instinctively to the scent and whining cries and he was hard immediately, but he refused to move further into the room. His instinct was screaming at him to take the Omega. Eren was calling for him, everything in his scent begging for the Alpha to knot him, fill him, claim, possess... **Bond.**

His teeth ached to be in the flushed and glistening flesh of Eren's throat and his body begged to be tied to the Omega writhing in the rumpled nest of bedding. He swallowed hard... _Fear_... He couldn't do it. He'd said he could, thought he could take care of Eren while he was in heat, had been sure it would be just fine, but he knew... He **knew**... There was no way he could trust himself. His connection to Eren, their devastating compatibility, and those words that still echoed in his head when he let his guard down kept him still in the doorway, hands clenching on the frame so hard his fingers went numb. It **ached**. He couldn't take him because if he did, he would surely lose control of himself and bond him. And Eren would let him, was begging him, had been begging him unconsciously and consciously maybe from the first moment they'd met for him to do just that... He couldn't... He just... Couldn't.

Eren poked his head out of the blankets when he smelled that his Alpha was close. "Alpha," he purred, starting to relax with the scent of Levi's pheromones, "I need you, come here," Eren panted, reaching towards Levi, his face bright red with a feverish flush and his eyes glassy, too far gone to see or smell the war going on in Levi's head.

Levi's breath hitched and his pupils contracted and redilated and he shook with the effort it took to keep himself from obeying the Omega's panting order. He let out harsh breaths of his own and shook his head, forcing himself to step back. Away, he had to get away. Sweat beaded and rolled down his temples and the back of his neck, from a mix of arousal and fear and tense muscles quaked with exertion as he fought the powerful instincts trying to force him closer. "I can't... Can't... 'M sorry," he whispered hoarsely, strained and aching as he backed away until his back made contact with the wall opposite Eren's room with a dull thud.

A look of confusion crossed Eren's dazed face and he struggled to get up, falling forward with a whine. "Alpha... Please... It hurts... Come here," he begged, reaching even further across the bed as he whined and panted, his scent becoming even stronger, calling for Levi to take care of him.

The Alpha's jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth, a low growl rumbling out of his chest and he hit his head back against the wall, using the dull ache the impact provided to ground himself when Eren's scent intensified. He clenched and unclenched his stiff fingers and shuddered hard, trying to force words from his mouth that were stuck in a closing throat.

He shook his head again and forced his eyes away from the wanton display, trying viciously to ignore the desperation in the Omega's scent and begging voice. He took a step forward before he could stop himself and his eyes widened in response to the unconscious movement of his limbs. Before his instincts could draw him closer... Before it was too late to escape, he bolted. Down the hallway and out of the house, unable to stop until he was locked inside his truck, panting harshly, gasping to fill his burning lungs with oxygen while he hung his head, eyes clenching shut so tightly, he saw spots on the backs of his eyelids. And he was so hard, it was fucking painful.

He growled ferociously and beat his hands against the steering wheel, unable to leave, but unwilling to go back inside and care for the Omega as he should, as instinct begged him to.

Levi left so suddenly and so unexpectedly, Eren remained confused for a few more moments. "Levi?" he called, a little more coherent now that his body was screaming at him that something was wrong. He couldn't see the man, and only the remnants of his scent remained."Levi?" Eren called again, unable to believe his eyes or his instincts. "Levi... Come back... Levi please... Where are you? COME BACK!" Eren screeched, becoming increasingly more frantic. But the Alpha didn't answer. Levi was gone. Levi had left Eren. Levi had **abandoned** him.

"HOW COULD YOU DO THIS TO ME?" Eren screamed, thrashing in his blankets as he began to hyperventilate. Pain coursed through his body as his tears soaked his face. Levi had rejected him. He wasn't good enough. He had failed as an Omega. No one would ever love him. So many horrible thoughts fired through his mind, choking him in his despair as another wave of heat hit him and it might have been the worst pain he'd ever felt.

It was then that Eren realized he would be spending this heat alone, and his body would punish him for failing.

The Alpha was hardly coherent, distraught and at war with himself for hours inside the cab of his truck. It was dark by the time he managed to call Erwin on his cell, uncertain of what he even said to the other Alpha. His words were rushed and strained, desperate as he begged his friend to keep care of Phoenix for the next few days. He couldn't leave the Omega's house, unable to force himself to actually start his truck and drive away. He **had** to at least be there and make sure no other Alphas attempted to get inside.

He was awake for long hours, staring into nothing as his skin crawled and muscles tensed and untensed only to tense again. Finally, exhaustion took him and he woke so sore, he could barely move, a mess of emotions washing through him, too many and too tightly knotted together to be identified and separated. He was out of his truck before he even knew what he was doing and was inside the house, **needing** to be sure the Omega was safe.

Eren's heat so far had been brutal and unforgiving. Every fresh wave made him furiously pump his cock and bury as much of his hand in his ass as he could but it wasn't enough. It had been **hours** and he'd only been able to reach orgasm once. If he would have known he was spending it alone, he could have taken suppressants to make his heat easier, and gather together his selection of toys to imitate a knot, but it was too late to take the pills and the toys were in his closet which he was too weak to reach.

The Omega was tired, in pain, and covered in sweat and slick, but he was in between waves, so he lay still, trying to conserve his strength for the next onslaught. Eren's tears flowed randomly, but he was beginning to think he had run out, thank god. The Omega didn't think his swollen eyes could take it anymore.

The silence of his house was broken by the sound of the front door opening. Eren didn't know who it was, and couldn't bring himself to care. He just stayed within his dirty blankets in the darkness of his room, unwilling to move and not able to make a sound.

Levi paced the hall between the open kitchen and the turn that would lead him to Eren's bedroom, running his hands repeatedly through his hair and growling under his breath, tugging the strands between his fingers harshly. He was annoyed by his own indecision and strung out on instinct and apprehension. He bit the inside of his cheek until he tasted blood and swallowed hard. That was it... He couldn't take it; he had to just check on him.

He let his breath out in a ragged hiss between his clenched teeth as he finally turned down the hallway and strode to Eren's room purposefully though he lost confidence as he got to the doorway. He sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and worried at it harshly. He could smell the heat and the desperation and the awful bittersweetness of the Omega's distress and he knew it was his fault and the guilt was consuming. He was a **terrible** Alpha.

He wrapped his knuckles so lightly against the door frame that it was barely audible. "Eren..." he called in a strained, wrecked voice that wavered as if he was afraid of what the Omega's reaction to his presence would be.

A choked sob escaped Eren's throat before he managed to silence himself. He dived into the blankets, intent on hiding himself from the Alpha. There was no way he wanted a man who had just rejected him hours previous to see him like this. There was nothing Eren could do about the scent in the air, but he could try and hide his shame.

Levi forced the croon back down his throat as it threatened to spill out of his mouth and stepped into the room when the hitched sob sounded and the Omega burrowed himself beneath the bedding. The Alpha scented the humid air again and frowned, his brows furrowing with concern and his own guilty shame. His own scent gave him away, the bitterness of his own distress underlying the instinctive protectiveness that rolled off of him. He was sorry. Fuck, he was so so fucking sorry.

He reached out towards the huddled lump that was Eren before he could stop himself, hand hovering awkwardly with hesitation. He shouldn't touch him, but he badly wanted to. He wanted to comfort him and help him like he should, but he couldn't and he was stuck in some sort of limbo, trapped between instinct and his own hang ups. "I'm..." He paused and swallowed his apology, "Can I get you anything?"

Eren wanted to scream at Levi. Wanted to yell and throw things and make the Alpha feel as bad as he did. But he couldn't. All that he managed was a sad whimper before he got a hold of himself. "Water," Eren whispered hoarsely, "And before the next wave hits I need the toys from my closet." Eren tried to organize his thoughts and ignore his emotional turmoil. This was the only help he would get so he needed to be practical.

"I need you to call someone to come take care of me. I... I don't want you here right now," he finally managed to say, his voice cracking at the end.

Levi shifted his weight and pulled his hand back as if he'd been burned. Of course Eren wanted him gone. Of course he didn't want the Alpha anywhere near him. Levi had fucked up so much worse this time.

"Okay," he agreed quietly, shuffling out of the room to do as Eren had asked. He brought him water and called Armin. The little blonde Omega would be there in a couple of hours.

He went into the closet and retrieved the box of toys, deliberately avoiding looking at any of the contents as he set the box on the Omega's night stand.

He lingered in the doorway for several long seconds, trying to figure out something to say, but nothing was right. There wasn't an apology for this.

"Armin will be here in a couple hours... I... I'm going to go. I'll stay away until you've recovered," he said quietly, guilt evident in his voice and he didn't wait for a reply before he left the house again, though he only went so far as the front steps. He sat there with his head hung between his bent knees and his hands tangled in his hair. This was definitely going to be the end. There was no turning back now. He was certain Eren wouldn't want to see him again. But it didn't matter. He couldn't leave.

 

***

Knees red and raw from kneeling, Eren had finally finished scrubbing his house from top to bottom with bleach, getting rid of the smell of heat and distress. His heat had ended the night before and the first thing he was able to ask Armin to do was go buy cleaner and scent maskers. He didn't want to smell himself. He wanted his house to be cleansed of the last couple days and to never remember them again. Armin tried to offer help, but he had to head back to the hospital after taking emergency leave which Eren still felt bad about.

Cleaning was therapeutic for Eren. He thought a lot while he scrubbed. About what had happened and why it happened and what he should do now. He didn't cry as he thought, or when he came to a conclusion. His tears had been used up during his heat.

Eren felt numb as he sent Levi a text.

**Eren:**  
_Heats over. We should talk. As soon as possible._

Levi closed his eyes when his phone buzzed against his side where he was laying on the carpet in his living room, Phoenix curled next to him. He already knew who it was.

He'd been to Eren's house everyday for the passed several days, sometimes twice a day to be sure the Omega was alright. He hadn't been inside, but Armin had been there to assure him. When the blonde had first arrived, Levi had explained what had happened because he owed him that much. And he'd made Armin promise not to say anything to Eren because... Well because he didn't deserve any forgiveness from the Omega and he had a feeling that that was exactly what Eren would give him if he knew just how much the whole awful ordeal had effected the Alpha.

And now it was over. He drew in a deep breath and let it out slowly before he read the simple curt message. He took another breath before he replied.

**Levi:**  
_On my way._

When Eren received Levi's reply, he immediately went to his bedroom and changed his clothes into a giant hoodie and baggy sweats. He also covered himself once again in scent maskers; he couldn't smell his scent at all so there was no way Levi could.

He figured he had some more time, so he made himself a cup of tea from his Keurig and sat at his dining table, staring blankly ahead as he awaited the knock on his front door.

Levi should have been expecting it when he arrived at Eren's house, should have known the Omega would want everything erased and he'd been expecting the end, but to not even smell him... There was the scent of bleach and other cleaning products, harsh and unforgiving, but no sweet coconut vanilla blend that was uniquely Eren's when the brunette answered the door, looking far worse for wear than Levi had last seen him. He scented the air desperately, but there was nothing and it fucking hurt.

He swallowed and wet his lips and cleared his throat and stalled for words as long as he could before finally he settled for a simple and awkward, quiet, "Hey."

Eren stayed silent, looking at Levi with dead eyes as a stab of pain lanced through his heart when he saw the Alpha on the other side of the door. He left the door open for Levi and made his way back to his dining table, his hands cupping his still hot mug of tea as he waited for the Alpha to sit down.

Levi bit the inside of his cheek hard to keep any comforting sounds from leaving his chest. He didn't think Eren would appreciate the gesture given the way he'd looked at him. He followed him to the dining room, but didn't sit down, feeling too restless to sit, but he did lean his palms against the back of another of the chairs. "So... You wanted to talk," he said, wincing inwardly at his own words. Idiot... Fucking idiot... He was supposed to brush this shit off and Eren wasn't supposed to look at him like _that_... Just do it... It needed to end. No hard feelings...

"Yeah... Before we talk... I thought I'd let you try explain to me why," his voice cracked, but then he took a deep breath and closed his eyes, calming down in order to finish his sentence, "Why you would do that to me?"

_Lie.... Lie lie lie, fucking lie Ackerman!_ he screamed at himself. He couldn't tell Eren the real reason, couldn't possibly say he was afraid he'd bond him; he was afraid of what the admission would mean. Denial was so much easier; it always had been, but what kind of lie could he tell? He didn't want to... This wasn't just some Omega; it was Eren and he'd meant to treat him better. Everything was so completely, horribly, irreparably damaged now. Neither of them was supposed to become attached.

"I don't... I meant to tell you before that I couldn't, but I thought you'd have reminded me before it happened. I didn't want you to become more attached... I couldn't trust us anymore Eren. It was never supposed to get so complicated," it wasn't entirely a lie, but it certainly wasn't the full truth and he couldn't look at the Omega when he said the words, staring at his white-knuckled hands on the back of the chair instead.

A hiss of frustration escaped through Eren's nose as he leaned back and dry scrubbed his face. "My heats are irregular. I usually have some idea when they will come, but the symptoms are always different. You should have told me the second you didn't want to spend it with me anymore. I would have understood..." Eren said, dropping his hands to hang limply at his sides as he shook his head. "But whatever. It happened... Nothing to be done about it now."

Eren leant forward, staring into the dark liquid of his tea as his hands leeched the warmth once again. "I could have handled you not loving me. Or never getting bonded. I was willing to bend that far just so I could be with you. It was worth it for me. This... You abandoning me when I needed you..." Looking up he tried to catch Levi's eye, try and decipher some sort of the emotion from the man. "You aren't the person I thought you were," he said flatly, "And I don't think I can be with someone who could do that to me. I have some self respect still."

Levi closed his eyes and inhaled a silent breath before letting it out slowly. "I know. I don't blame you. I always was going to disappoint you in the end. It's inevitable. I'm always a let down. I'm sorry the timing was so terrible, but I guess it's for the best. We both knew this was coming, right?" And if his voice shook just a little, he refused to acknowledge it. Maybe it hadn't been this hard before, but he'd get over it just as he always did. And surely, even the guilt would fade, wouldn't it?

"I didn't, but hey... Fuck me right?" Eren said with a humourless chuckle, giving Levi a shrug like it didn't matter when they both knew that it did. "So... I guess I need to find a new contractor... Can you recommend me someone?" Eren asked with a wince, his eyes moving back to his tea. This was it then. If they weren't lovers and Levi didn't work for him... There would be no reason to continue talking.

Levi's breath hitched and his jaw tensed as he clenched his teeth while he worked to order his emotions and thoughts. He didn't want to give up contact completely. He didn't like the idea of handing the renovations of Eren's home over to some other Alpha that might not do it properly. And he needed the excuse to at least see him, to make sure he was doing alright, even if he refused to admit that was why. "I don't mind finishing it... I mean, if you don't have a problem with it, and there's no reason we can't at least be friends right?" he said, hoping his voice was as nonchalant as he was attempting to make it. His tongue felt thick in his mouth and his throat felt like sandpaper, so he couldn't be sure.

Eren's eyes widened at Levi's response, surprised he would want to continue to work at his ex lover's house. "I... I guess so?" he asked, his face scrunching in confusion. If he was honest with himself, he didn't want this to be the last time he saw Levi either. The Alpha had definitely hurt him, but he didn't want Levi to disappear completely. "I mean... It's not like I want to restart the process with someone else," he said, scratching his head, "And I guess if I could still be friends with Jean after we broke up, I could be friends with you... Not like this relationship meant anything near what that one did for me."

The last part was a blatant lie, but Levi didn't need to know that. Eren knew if they were to see each other often and be _friends_ , then he would need to hide his pain completely. There was no way his pride could handle Levi knowing he still had feelings for him even after what he'd done.

"Right," Levi agreed though it tasted like ash on his tongue. He didn't want to be compared to Eren's ex and to be seen as lesser than that fuck had been, but he couldn't say anything because in the end Levi had been exactly what Jean had said he was and he had done exactly what had been expected. He'd let Eren down just as all the other Alphas before him.

He swallowed again and finally looked at the Omega, a tight smile on his lips as he leaned back from his propped position, running one hand through his hair and down his nape to rub the back of his neck, dropping his other hand to tuck his thumb into the waistband of his jeans, trying to appear unaffected when the guilt and odd aching in his chest was threatening to suffocate him. It would get better though; he just had to forget he'd had Eren in the first place. They'd both be fine once they moved on to other people. It was about time the Omega found the Alpha he was looking for anyway. Levi had never been anything, but a distraction. And sure, Eren had been special, but in the end, he'd turned out like every other Omega Levi had been with. He'd started to want things that Levi was unable to provide.

"Uh, so I guess, when do you want me to start back on the basement?"

Eren's anger grew as he noticed the nonchalant attitude Levi had. Did he mean so little to the man? Was everything they had so easy to throw away? He silenced the unbidden thoughts and forced his anger down into mere annoyance.

He crossed his arms and turned his head to the side, unable to continue looking at the Alpha and not start to scream. "I don't care. How long will everything take?" Eren's tone was clipped, like he was annoyed with Levi's very existence.

Levi pursed his lips to keep from frowning, though his brow furrowed a little and his scent curled up around him a little defensively in response to Eren's tone, aware that he was only irritating the Omega further. "Maybe little over a month for the basement and bathrooms if you still want them done," he answered, keeping his voice as level as he could. He didn't want to fight with Eren and he didn't want to hear his hurt or his anger anymore. "I'll come back in a couple days. I have a few things I have to get done first for my uncle and I need to order drywall and shit anyways," he excused, though it was not a full truth either. Yeah, he had to get drywall and yeah, he had to run an errand for Kenny, but neither of those things would take longer than a couple hours at most. It was just obvious that Eren needed the space and if Levi was honest, he could probably use it as well so long as he knew that he could come back in the future.

Eren nodded his head and said, "Yes I do. I go back to work tomorrow and I'll be pulling late nights for a while to catch up. Should I give you a key so you can come and go as you please?" In the past, he had never offered Levi a key because he was afraid the Alpha would freak out. Now it didn't matter. There was nothing behind it other than convenience. He couldn't be running around making sure Levi had access when he needed to work.

Levi nodded jerkily, "That'd probably be easiest, so long as you are comfortable with that. I'll make sure I lock up before I leave for the day," he agreed, shifting his weight uncomfortably, acutely aware of the awkwardness between them. He didn't like it, but it was unavoidable until they could get used to the distance between them and the change in their relationship.

"I don't care," Eren said blankly, waving his hand at Levi's promise. He was starting to feel sick to his stomach after not resting at all when his heat was over. He had been too worried about getting rid of the smell and having this conversation. It was time to end this horrible talk, and nurse his wounds alone in his room where he could suffer in peace.

Standing up, Eren felt light headed and immediately sat back down, his hands spread out on the table for support as he tried not to puke. His body was at its limit.

Concern flared in Levi's scent and in his expression and he was reaching out to steady the Omega before he could stop himself. "Are you alright?" he questioned, trying to pretend that it was merely a usual reaction when it wasn't. "Maybe you should go lie down or something. I'll get going for now... Um," he paused, hesitating, "You can call me if you need me for anything." He made the offer as if it was for work or just as friends, but he would come if Eren called, regardless of the reason.

Eren smelled Levi's concern in the air and rolled his eyes. He was happy that he wore scent maskers so the man couldn't smell the anger or the bitterness in his own scent. Eren figured they would become a normal part of his routine from now on; he didn't want to smell himself anyway.

"Yeah... Like that worked out for me last time," Eren bit, referring to the last thing Levi said before he went into heat. Slowly, he stood up, using another chair for leverage, swaying on his feet, but trying not to look weak in front of Levi. He turned away from the Alpha, grabbing onto things to keep himself upright as he inched away, heading towards his bedroom and effectively ending the conversation. Levi could let himself out and Eren would give the man a key the next time he saw him.

Levi bit back the growl that threatened to escape his throat and said nothing in response to the bitter words that Eren spat, watching the Omega stagger away from him and down the hall. He only turned to leave once he heard the harsh closing of Eren's bedroom door. He carded his fingers roughly through his hair again as he stepped jerkily down the front stairs and back to his truck, a heavy sense of loss, guilt, frustration and his own hurt settling in his gut and he could taste the bitterness of failure on the back of his tongue, but he didn't turn around, didn't return to the Omega and ask for another chance. It was better this way. It could have been cleaner, but there was nothing he could do about that now. And what would he want another chance for anyway? Casual didn't come with second chances.

Eren stood panting on the other side of his bedroom door. When he finally heard the sound of the front door opening and closing, he sunk to his knees as his eyes overflowed with tears and spilled down his cheeks. Tonight he would cry, and scream and grieve the loss of Levi. Tomorrow he would let it go and be happy. He just had to give himself tonight, and then he would be okay. Eren had no other choice.


	14. Replacing Annuals

 

It'd been a week since he and Eren had broken things off and three days since he'd started back working in the Omega's basement. He hadn't seen him for more than a couple minutes at a time in the mornings before Eren left for work and they traded awkward greetings and still Eren smelled like nothing and still it hurt. It would pass though...

It was Monday around lunch time and he had to run to the local florist's for his uncle since Kenny had a meeting with a client and couldn't do it himself. He had to pick up an arrangement for another of their regular clients as a show of appreciation for their continued patronage. So, here he was, dark blue jeans and grey t-shirt speckled with drywall mud and dust, work boots thudding heavily as he slipped into the small flower shop with a chime from the overhead bell.

He went directly to the counter and leaned an elbow on the glass top idly as he waited for the florist to appear. He could hear movement in the back and assumed it would only be a moment or two. He heaved a sigh and glanced at his phone for the time, rolling his head on his shoulders to try and alleviate the tenseness in the back of his neck. He smelled her before he saw her and it was so familiar that he almost purred, but it wasn't quite the same. There was something missing, but even so, he couldn't help, but appreciate it after being denied for so long and his own scent rose up pleasantly around him in response.

"Hi there," an Omega greeted, coming from the back and taking off her gloves as she wiped her hands on her green apron. She had soft blonde hair that curled on the ends and framed her face like a halo with bright blue eyes. A sky blue summer dress peeked out from under her apron where her name tag was attached that read Krista Lenz. "What can I do for you?" she asked leaning on the counter and giving Levi a bright smile.

The charming smile that curved on his lips was purely habitual as Levi looked over the petite blonde that came to greet him. She was a pretty little thing and she smelled good and looking her over, she was not marked by an Alpha. Maybe things were looking up.

"Afternoon... Krista, I'm here to pick up an arrangement for Ackerman Construction and Landscaping," he greeted in return, smile broadening and he shifted his weight, crossing his forearms and leaning further on the counter.

"Oh! Yes we have it ready," she said, perking up even further when Levi mentioned his company. She glided to the back and grabbed a vase that held, white lilies, yellow roses, and small blue daisies. It was a gorgeous arrangement and very unique. Placing the vase on the counter for Levi she looked over the flowers with an excited smile. "Mr. Ackerman said on the phone I could do whatever I wanted with the arrangement, so I had a lot of fun getting creative with the colours and the placement. I hope this is alright?" she asked, bubbly, waiting for Levi to inspect the item.

The Alpha looked over the arrangement with a hum, pretending to scrutinize it for a minute before he looked back at the young woman, his gaze catching on something in her hair. He reached out, gently plucking a little pink petal from the soft strands of honey blonde along her right temple, holding it up to excuse his bold action and smiled at her before he looked back down at the arrangement. "It's as lovely as the florist that arranged it, but it seems to be missing something," he said lightly, the charming lilt in his tone silky and mild as he stared across the counter at Krista.

Krista was startled when Levi's hand reached out to touch her, but she didn't move away. She was used to people, even strangers, petting at her since she was so short and an Omega. A small pout formed on her lips in response to Levi's criticism; she had been proud of this piece. "Um..." She thought to herself, "I could add some baby’s breath to make it appear fuller... Unless you have something else in mind." She picked up her scissors, ready to go gather the required flowers and looked at Levi expectantly.

"Nah, I had something a little more personal in mind, like say, your phone number," he said smoothly, winking cheekily at the girl and smiling roguishly. He leaned back away from the counter, tucking one thumb into the waistband of his jeans and cocking his hip. The line was cheesy, but she looked like the type that could appreciate a cheesy pick up line or two.

"Oh!" Krista said, a little blush coloring her creamy white skin as she giggled nervously. "So the flowers are okay then?" she asked seriously, wanting to make sure there was no doubt.

Levi chuckled. "The flowers are perfect. You obviously understand them Miss Honeybee. Our client's going to love them," he replied sincerely, genuine interest threading into his scent as he watched the blush rise on her cheeks. He could use a cute distraction and Krista Lenz was definitely cute.

Krista smiled warmly as her blush deepened. "Thank you," she said with a nod of her head as her hand came up to twirl a lock of her hair nervously, "You seem very nice even though you asked for my number without even introducing yourself... But I'm not really looking to date anyone right now since I just got out of a long term relationship. It wouldn't be fair to you... I'm sorry." She bit her lip and kept her blue eyes lowered. The Omega had a soft heart, and always hated turning people down and upsetting them.

Levi cocked his head, lowering his lashes, his smile turning a little sheepish, "Who said anything about dating? I just thought you looked like the type that would appreciate an invite for ice cream sometime. As for introducing myself, I must have been a little distracted by all the pretty _flowers_. I'm Levi Ackerman."

He paused, looking at her expression, "Don't look so heartbroken Honeybee. You wouldn't be the first pretty girl to turn me down. How about I leave you my number instead, and if you decide you're in the mood for a cool treat, give me a ring, hm?" Maybe he was laying it on a little thick, but she was pretty and smelled just familiar enough that he was willing to hurt his pride a little. And really, what could be more perfect than a girl who wasn't looking to get into another relationship? He certainly wasn't looking for long term either.

She lifted her eyes to smile at Levi, happy he wasn't upset. "Okay... Yeah sure... I like ice cream," she admitted with a giggle, relaxed once again as her honey vanilla scent rose in the air, relieved and content.

Levi's smile returned full force and he reached into his back pocket for his wallet, pulling out his company credit card and his personal business card and offering both to the young woman, held loosely between two fingers. "Well, I should be getting back to work, so ring me up buttercup," he prompted pleasantly, gaze warm as he watched her over the counter.

She smiled sweetly, but immediately returned the credit card although she kept the business card. "It was paid for at the order so I don't need this," she said as she handed the vase to Levi, "And maybe I will..."

The Alpha took the offered vase and pocketed the credit card. "I'll be looking forward to that maybe call. It was nice meeting you Krista. I'm sure we'll be seeing each other again. We've got lots of clients to thank after all," he bid, casting her another charming grin before he turned on his heel and left the shop with a decidedly confident swagger to his gait. He didn't think he'd have to wait too long for that call.

Levi only had to wait until Friday for that first fateful call from the petite florist and he took her out for ice cream and a movie that weekend. She was sweet and liked him well enough and they went out twice more with plans for a fourth date by the following Wednesday.

***

Levi was in Eren's kitchen, washing dust from his hands when his phone started to buzz in his pocket. He dried his hands on a clean paint rag and draped it over his shoulder before he dug the cell out, smiling a little at the name flashing on the screen before he swiped his finger over it to answer the call, leaning his hip against the counter as he put the phone to his ear.

"Hey Honeybee, what's up?" he greeted, smile broadening slightly as he listened to the clearly feminine voice on the line. "Mhm, yeah, I picked up the tickets this morning. Wear whatever you want buttercup, you know I'm not gonna complain," he chuckled huskily, looping his thumb in his belt loop as he spoke to his temporary girlfriend. He should probably feel more awkward speaking to his current Omega while in his ex's house, but he was good at pretending and what did it matter when he and Eren were hardly talking anymore anyway?

For the first time in what seemed like forever, Eren had managed to come home early, holding a pack of his favourite brand of cigarettes that he'd quit years ago. But it was only one pack... Eren just needed something. Lately, he felt like he was drowning and he just wanted to relax.

He snuck into his own backyard, sticking a smoke between his lips as he brought his new lighter up to light it, almost shaking with anticipation. He paused when he heard Levi's voice float through the kitchen window. _Buttercup?_ Who the fuck was he talking to?

Levi laughed again at Krista's scolding, "Right, yeah, you can dress me however you like Honeybee. I don't mind matching if that's what you want. I look good in white anyways, not that we aren't going to be covered in paint by the end of it anyhow. Mm, you look damn fine in that little white dress you picked out while we were shopping on Monday," he said, voice low and teasing, "I can practically hear you blushing buttercup. Bet you're as red as the roses you had in the window yesterday. Speaking of, you still need to borrow my truck tomorrow to make those deliveries?"

The cigarette in Eren's mouth fell to the ground as the Omega’s jaw dropped. Levi... Levi was already seeing someone else. Eren looked at his hands, counting the days since they'd broken up. It had only been two weeks. Two fucking weeks. Actually from the sounds of the one-sided conversation, it had probably been quicker.

Eren's eyes were stinging like he was about to cry, but he swallowed hard and pulled another cigarette from the pack, putting it into his mouth with shaking hands and he finally managed to light it. He took a couple long drags, holding the smoke in his lungs and breathing out as he calmed down. How fucking dare he already be dating someone else? After everything that had happened... Oh hell no. Two could fucking play at this game.

Pulling his phone out of his pocket of his pants, he pulled up his contacts and thought of who he could date that would make Levi's skin crawl. To be honest, he knew Jean would be the perfect candidate, but he had Marco so that was a no go. Finally, he found someone. Reiner Braun. Eren had completely forgotten that he had the Alpha's number. He was _perfect_.

With a smirk on his face, he passed the front gate and walked through his front door, cigarette still in his mouth as he trotted to the kitchen. Levi was still there and still on the phone, and Eren leaned on the island, staring at the man and continued to smoke with a grin.

Levi blinked when Eren sauntered into the kitchen and immediately scowled at the sight of the cigarette in the Omega's mouth, brow furrowing. Since when did Eren smoke?

"Huh? Oh yeah, it's no problem. I gotta go Honeybee, but I'll come pick you up in the next hour or so for dinner. Mhm, see you soon buttercup," he ended the call and pocketed his phone, leveling his gaze back on his employer. Eren looked different somehow, colder and harder than he'd ever seen him even though the Omega was grinning. He **hated** it.

"Sorry, did you need something? I was just about to head home for the day," he said by way of greeting, waving a hand idly through a curl of smoke that wafted towards him.

"Nope," Eren said cheerfully, popping the 'p' like he used to when he talked to Levi. "Thought I'd say hi since I'm home early for once," he said before he took another drag and blew it out through his nose. He stood up and unbuttoned his suit jacket, revealing the tight shirt beneath that was unbuttoned at the top to reveal his smooth, tan collar bones. He stretched slowly then began to saunter towards his bedroom before he paused. Looking back at Levi with a crooked grin and fire in his eyes he said, "Have fun on your _date_ ," then continued on his way with a wave of his hand.

_This_ was who Eren was; not sad and small and broken. Eren was wicked and flirtatious and an Alpha eater. Fuck Levi. It was time to show the man what the hell he'd given up. It might be vindictive, but damn did it feel good.

"Right," the Alpha hummed, gaze following the movement of Eren's body when he stretched, unable to stop himself from looking. He blinked at the crooked grin and fiery look in the Omega's eyes. Oh... That was it then... Eren was unimpressed, obviously jealous over the quick rebound Levi'd had and the Alpha was just as unimpressed. What had the Omega expected? This was normal for the Alpha, maybe a little quicker than his usual, but still part of who he'd always been. It's not as if Levi was going to change... Certainly Eren hadn't changed him. Right...? But he couldn't help but feel that he had changed Eren like Jean had warned him. Fuck... Whatever, it wasn't his business anymore. Omegas came and went; Eren wasn't any different.

"You shouldn't smoke in the house, you'll ruin the paint," he called down the hall after Eren before he was packing up and making his way out to his truck, desperately trying to convince himself that he didn't care. He didn't...

***

Levi pulled into Eren's driveway at a quarter to eight the next morning and left his truck idling, unbuckling and smiling at the tiny blonde woman next to him. Krista was looking pretty in an olive green linen peasant dress that fell to just above her knees and flared out slightly, cinched in at the bust to accentuate her petite waist, the neckline squared and showing just the subtlest swell of her milky bosom and the thin sleeves resting low on her narrow shoulders.

The Alpha climbed out of the truck, leaving his door open as he went around to open his girlfriend's door for her, offering her his hand as she slipped out and he shut the door after her, not releasing her hand as he led them back around to the driver's side. "You sure you can handle this brute?" he was asking as he adjusted the matching olive headband that was holding back her honey blonde hair for her familiarly. She shook her head, wrinkling her nose cutely at his words.

"Of course I can. If it's anything like you, I'll have no trouble at all," she teased, her blue eyes sparkling with humour while she patted his bicep in assurance.

He scowled at her, "Are you implying **I'm** a brute?"

"Well, if the shoe fits," she giggled and he growled though the sound was hardly menacing.

"I'll show you brute," he grumbled, picking her up by the waist and seating her in the driver's seat, her feet dangling at least a foot or two from the ground and he leaned inside the cab, squeezing his hands around her waist playfully while she shook her head and giggled again, resting her dainty hands on his shoulders. He nosed along her temple, inhaling the sweet honey vanilla scent of her greedily. It wasn't the one he craved, but it was close enough.

"You still gonna bring me lunch today buttercup?" he questioned while her pink painted fingernails sparkled in the rising sunlight and her fingers splayed over the back of his neck and shoulders and she nodded.

"I will so long as you're still making me dinner tonight," she agreed, pressing a little peck to his cheek.

He returned the gesture, pressing a kiss to one blush stained cheek of hers before he was pulling back so she could right herself in the driver's seat. "You got it honeybee, I'll see you in a couple hours then. Drive safe," he said, stepping back so he could close the door for her and she smiled brightly at him before she was pulling out of the driveway with a honk and a wave.

Eren was watching his ex as he flirted with his new girlfriend in _his_ fucking driveway. He spied through the slotted blinds, a cigarette dangling from his lips, mostly ash as he paced back and forth like a wild animal, seething.

Levi's new girlfriend was fucking adorable; everything an Omega should be and nothing like what Eren was. Eren was fire and she was fucking daisies, prissy and perfect and Eren wanted to claw her eyes and rip out her fucking hair. How dare they act like that in front of his house. This was fucking war.

The Omega hadn't showered for work yet so his scent maskers had worn off. His scent was around him, but not as strong as it would've been without the maskers. He wore loose sweat pants low on his waist without a shirt, his muscles even more toned since he had been working out more to relieve frustration and eating less.

Before Levi could walk in the house, Eren ran to the kitchen, snuffed out his cigarette in his new ash tray and leaned on the counter. His back was to the front door so the Alpha would get a good view of his ass as he sipped his coffee and scrolled through his iPad, his eyes tracing articles, unseeing.

Levi hummed as he unlocked the front door and stepped inside, stilling abruptly when he caught sight of Eren. He swallowed, nostrils flaring as the subtle scent of his former Omega wafted through the air accompanied by the scent of smoke that might have ruined it if Levi hadn't been missing that coconut undertone mixed with the vanilla. How long had it been since he'd last smelled it?

His gaze traveled up from Eren's backside, along his spine and the desire to run his hand along that soft skin was almost potent enough for him to act on it, but he managed to reign it in, though his own scent flared while his gut knotted uncomfortably. What was that?

He was sure Eren was doing it on purpose and he didn't like it, but he couldn't help the interest that still crept under his skin and into his scent, though he pretended he didn't notice and cleared his throat to be sure his voice wouldn't crack when he greeted the Omega. "Morning, I wasn't expecting you to be here still. It's a good thing though, I wanted to ask you what colour you wanted the walls downstairs and if you wanted me to leave the light fixtures the same or not," he said, trying to sound professional and friendly, nonchalant when his stomach was twisted uncomfortably and his instincts buzzed in the back of his head angrily and there was a flash of concern in his mercury eyes as they swept over the Omega again without conscious thought. Was it him or did Eren seem thinner than he'd been before?

Eren smirked when he scented Levi's interest in the air, but then schooled his face into a sleepy smile like he had just woken up when in reality he'd been awake for hours. He looked over his shoulder, arching his back a little just to be a bitch and said, "Mm I can't always be early for work. I've banked too many hours staying 'til four am every night so they are capping my overtime."

He turned around to lean his back lazily against the counter, forcing a cute yawn before he thought to himself about the basement. "You can decide. Whatever looks best," he said with an easy smile, waving his hand like it was no big deal.

"Mm, that's probably a good thing. Wouldn't want your mom to worry," Levi said, forcing his eyes away from the alluring and a little disconcerting sight of the Omega. He shifted his weight uncomfortably. "Alright, I'll keep it simple and elegant then," he continued, switching to the topic of the basement after a long pause. He didn't like what Eren was doing. It was so obvious that the Omega was not alright and yet he was acting as if he was. It looked like a cry for attention and Levi was irritated. Eren had wanted things to end between them just as Levi had. He'd been the one to say that he couldn't continue, so why was he doing this now? It was only making it harder for them both. And he was making that aching inside the Alpha that he had been desperately suppressing since they'd broken up (and maybe some before that) flare back to life painfully.

Eren's face dropped from an easy smile into an irritated scowl at the mention of his mother. How dare Levi bring her into this. His family was none of his damn business. Acting like he fucking cared about Eren. Fuck him.

"'Kay," Eren said, grabbing his pack of cigarettes to fish out another smoke and light it. He could tell from the man's face that his smoking bothered the fuck out of him, so he decided every time the Alpha pissed him off, he would smoke another.

Levi's expression darkened and he pursed his lips when he heard the telltale click of the lighter, followed by the scent of tobacco smoke, but he absolutely refused to say anything about Eren's sudden bad habit.

He didn't look directly at the Omega again, "Well, guess I should be getting to work then. See you later boss," he said through clenched teeth, turning to head down the stairs to the basement without a backward glance, though he had some trouble keeping himself from doing just that, irritated for reasons he couldn't even explain to himself. Or maybe he could, but refused to acknowledge it.


	15. Pest Control

It was Friday evening, and Eren was getting ready for the paint party with loud music playing through a set of speakers. He had already showered and dried his hair and was now wearing white thigh high socks that were held up by belts that connected to his tiny metallic green shorts. He also wore a loose white button down that was tied to show off his midriff. The Omega wore no scent maskers tonight, so his scent was thick in the air of the bathroom, filled with excitement as he put on his make up.

He had set up this date with Reiner a couple of days ago, the Alpha jumping at the chance to go out with Eren which gave him a much needed ego boost. Eren didn't know if this was the same party that Levi was going to and he hoped it was, but even if it wasn't, he'd still have a good time. He was going to let loose tonight.

On his lids, he painted green metallic shadow, making his green eyes pop. He was putting on bright green lipstick when he heard footsteps coming down the hall. Eren smirked at himself in the mirror. Good. Levi could eat his heart out at the sight of him.

Levi came down the hallway towards Eren's bedroom; he could smell him. Fuck... He smelled so fucking good, just as Levi remembered and he was sure Eren was purposefully letting his scent out now when Levi knew he had been masking it before. It had started just after Eren had found out about Krista and the Alpha was certain it was a way for Eren to rub in that he was free and available again without Levi, a ploy to remind the Alpha what he was missing. And it was fucking working. He couldn't help wanting him, those instincts that had first flared when he met Eren were still there and still very much interested and battering at Levi excitedly, reminding him of the intense compatibility he had with this particular Omega. And he denied them, harshly forcing them down.

"Hey, I just wanted to let you know the walls downstairs are still dry--ing," he stuttered the end of his words as he laid eyes on the brunette and had to swallow hard against the sudden dryness in his mouth as his gaze crawled over Eren. He could feel a stir in his lower body and his own scent flared up with dangerous threads of interest and arousal and he shook his head hard, desperate to quell the instinctive reaction. What the fuck was this? Fucking shitty instincts... He had Krista; this shit with Eren needed to fucking stop.

Eren saw Levi in the mirror and grabbed the remote to his music to turn it off as he continued putting on his lipstick. "What did you say? Sorry the music was too loud, I couldn't hear you," he said nonchalantly like he didn't know he looked like _sin_ right now. He smacked his lips a few times and rubbed them together as he turned around to give Levi his attention.

"Uhh... The walls downstairs, don't touch them for a couple days. They're still wet," Levi replied distractedly, eyes trained on the Omega's mouth as his mind and his dick recalled what those lips looked and felt like when they were... He bit the inside of his cheek hard and took a step back into the bedroom, further away from the ensuite and away from the tempting sight. He almost asked what had Eren all dressed up, but he didn't want to know... That ache was in his chest and knotting his guts again even with the heady rush of lust and he didn't want to know where Eren was headed dressed to kill and who he was hoping to impress. He had his own date to go home and get ready for and he felt threads of guilt and shame curling around that knot in the pit of his stomach for having such lusty reactions to his ex when Krista was waiting for him.

He ran a hand jerkily through his hair, "I... Well that's all, I'm gonna go now," he said, backing away further, feeling oddly trapped.

Eren took a couple steps forward and cocked a hip, enjoying how uncomfortable he was making Levi. This was the most fun he had had in weeks and he wouldn't let the man escape so soon. "It's fine. I won't be here tonight anyway! I got a date," he said with a cheeky grin and giving a little excited wiggle of his hips. "I need an Alpha’s opinion... Do I look good? Is it too much for a first date? But we are going to a paint party so this is pretty typical," he said excitedly, biting his lip so he wouldn't break out into laughter as he gave a little twirl to show off the entire outfit.

"Yeah, you look good," but he wasn't looking at Eren when he answered, forcing his eyes to the floor by his booted feet, "I'm sure your _Alpha_ will forget his own name. But if that's all, I really gotta go. Krista's waiting for me. We're going out tonight too. Maybe we'll see you there if it's the same party we're hitting," he tried to sound easygoing, unaffected, but he was acutely uncomfortable, feeling off balance and out of place. Eren was doing it on purpose, he knew that, but it didn't matter; it hurt and it was doubly uncomfortable because he felt like he was somehow betraying his current girlfriend though he hadn't done anything particularly wrong.

"Mm thanks," Eren said, lifting a socked foot in a cutesy pose, "Love struck Alpha is what I'm going for." He turned on his heel to head back into the bathroom to finish his make up, his hips swaying with every step. "Have fun," he said cheerfully, then turned the music back on, bouncing a hip to the beat as he began dusting glitter on his face.

Levi held his breath as he spun on his heel and practically bolted out of the room and the house, growling and smacking a palm against the steering wheel harshly as he finally sat in his truck. **What the fuck? What the fucking shit fuck?**

He closed his eyes and took several deep breaths, letting them out heavily before he started the truck and peeled out of Eren's driveway, taking off toward his own home to meet his girlfriend, his head pounding as his thoughts collided raucously and his heart hammered in his chest. He couldn't even begin to sort out the mess in his head and his instincts were crying out at the denial of what they craved, but he refused. He wasn't going to do it. He couldn't ask for Eren back. It was over and that was it. There was no going back. He had a new Omega for fuck's sake... Maybe he just needed to get laid. He and Krista hadn't gotten that far yet; she hadn't even spent the night, but he wasn't going to rush her. He'd promised her and himself, he wouldn't, but if she offered... Fuck he hoped she offered because he needed to get the fuck over whatever this was.

***

Eren had just finished the final touches on his makeup and hair when he heard a honk outside his house. He slipped on his green Mary Janes and grabbed his metallic green purse that held his cigarettes, phone and wallet before he trotted outside.

On the road in front of his house was a fucking purple Lamborghini. "Holy shit," he said to himself as he carefully, but quickly made his way to the car and opened the passenger door. "Hi," he greeted Reiner who was in the driver’s seat as he climbed in, "This is such a cool car. I didn't know you had one." Eren looked around excitedly at the interior of the sports car.

Reiner looked the Omega over intently when he slipped into the seat next to him and hummed. He hated green, but at least Eren looked good in the outfit. "There's a lot you don't know about me baby, but you'll learn," he said as he peeled away from the curb before Eren even had time to buckle his seatbelt. He'd been waiting for this for weeks. Finally, Eren had come to his damn senses and dropped that short, cocky little prick he'd been dating and realized what kind of Alpha he **should** be with. It was about fucking time too.

The muscular blonde was wearing a white wife beater beneath a silky, metallic blue button up that was left open at the collar and rolled to his elbows with a pair of fitted dark slacks and shiny dress shoes even though they were attending a paint party. He had a thick silver chain around his neck and a Rolex on his wrist, a pair of Ray Bans perched on his head and a cigarette tucked into the corner of his lips, his dark cherry and chocolate scent mingling with the smoky flavour of the tobacco in the car as he drove towards the location Eren had texted him earlier, glancing sidelong at the other male regularly along the way, still hating the green, but loving the sight of tanned skin on display.

Eren vibrated in his seat, clearly excited. "I'm glad you were able to go on such short notice... I really needed to have fun," Eren said with a smile, putting his hand on Reiner's arm flirtatiously. He noticed the cigarette on the Alpha's lips and reached for his purse, "Mind if I smoke?" he asked before he pulled his pack and lighter out.

The taller Alpha looked over, a self satisfied smirk curling his lips at the feel of the Omega's hand on his arm and he used his other hand to roll down Eren's window, "Obviously not. Didn't know you smoked," he said as he took a drag off his own cigarette and flicked the ash from the tip, resting his arm along the open window of the driver's door, letting the smoke filter out of his mouth in a slow stream as he watched Eren light up. "So, how come you took so long to give me a call? I've been waiting to show you a good time. Almost thought I should give up."

"Mm thanks... There's a lot you don't know about me _baby_ ," Eren repeated the man's words back at him with a smirk, sucking a long drag of the smoke between his lime green lips before he blew it out the window. "I didn't want an Alpha," Eren answered, flicking the ash from the cigarette between his green manicured nails, "But I got horny so here I am. Persistence is a sexy attribute, **Alpha**. Trust me... I'm worth the wait." He turned his gaze to look at Reiner critically, his green eyes filled with fire and challenge.

Reiner inclined his head, teeth glinting as he smirked right back at Eren, switching his other hand to the steering wheel so that he could rest one broad hand on Eren's thigh, giving the flesh a squeeze, "I got no doubt about that **Omega**. You're gonna look so good under me," he purred lowly, sliding his fingers higher up Eren's inner thigh, his scent spiking heavier in the car, thick with lust and dominance. Eren was going to look so so good on his arm, especially once he was well-versed in the high life the lawyer was going to provide for him.

Eren shivered when Reiner gripped his leg, but he didn't move it away, swallowing down his apprehension. This was what he wanted.

"This the place baby?" Reiner asked as he pulled up to a flashy club where there was a line up being admitted slowly by two muscled bouncers at the doors.

Looking out the window, Eren's lips formed into a frown as he noticed the long line to get into the club. "I think so... Maybe we should have come earlier? Do you think we will be able to get in?" he asked the Alpha worriedly, biting his lip.

Reiner scoffed as he slid into a parking spot, "Oh baby, lines are for people who can't afford VIP entrance fees. I got this," he said in an almost patronizing tone as he rolled the windows up and slipped out of the lambo and around the hood to open Eren's door and offer the Omega his arm like a gentleman before he was guiding Eren along, bypassing the line entirely and pulling several bills from an expensive silver billfold, tucking them into the bouncer's hand before the large man smiled and let them inside without protest, ignoring the grumblings of the people still waiting in line.

"Big spender," Eren purred, wrapping his arms around the Alpha, petting at his sides seductively. He couldn't help, but think that he felt swallowed up by the man; Reiner was so big. Instead of making him feel good... It made him feel weird. But he shook his head and held on tighter, running his hand over Reiner's hip like he couldn't get enough of touching the Alpha.

Reiner grinned, gripping the back of Eren's neck firmly and keeping him close as he led them through the crowd, taking the lead as was expected. He was the Alpha after all and Eren was being pleasantly submissive this evening. He scanned the crowded floor for a table, but they all seemed to be full as was the dance floor and he was about to give up entirely when his sharp gaze caught on a familiar face at a table not so far from the bar, a few steps up from the floor and with a few open seats. He jerked his chin in the direction, "There's your reno guy; looks like his table's got some free seats. You guys are cool anyway, right," he spoke right next to Eren's ear, not waiting for a response from the Omega before he was pressing Eren in the direction of Levi's table.

Levi was sitting next to Krista, his arm around her tiny waist as she stuck close to his side, his head bent to listen as she told him about how excited she was to get out on the dance floor once they'd finished a drink. The couple was dressed all in white, their clothes glowing in the black lights. Krista was in a slinky, thigh length strapless white dress, see thru white nylons on her shapely legs with silver laced, low heeled gladiator style sandals on her feet, which were crossed and dangling over Levi's thigh. She had a little silver headband resting against her forehead, blonde hair pulled up in a messy bun with ringlets framing her pretty face and a pair of feathered angel wings sprouted from her glittery shoulders, matching silver nail polish, necklace and bangle bracelets and a little silver chain around her waist dangling loosely and accessorizing her ensemble.

The Alpha at her side was in a relaxed, spread pose wearing white fitted jeans and white converse sneakers with silver laces, a white sleeveless top wrapped around his torso with thick silver rings clasped around each of his biceps, a matching silver halo around his forehead and just a touch of glitter on his high cheekbones and shoulders and a little charcoal lining his eyes that his date had insisted would make his eyes pop. He also had a pair of wings protruding from his back, feathered and broader than his female counterpart and his hair was a strategically tousled mess. A dark angel if ever there was one.

He sipped his drink as he listened and smiled at the petite blonde while she talked eagerly and was about to respond when he caught sight of a familiar pair of faces and a growl rumbled from his chest unbidden.

When Eren realized where Reiner was leading him, he dug in his heels and said, "No I don't want to bother them..." But Reiner wasn’t listening and continued to push Eren through the crowd towards the table. Soon, he made eye contact with Levi so there was no turning back. Eren had to school his face into a confident smirk, holding on to Reiner closely as he swayed his hips when they finally reached the table.

"Hey guys. I guess we were going to the same party after all," Eren said loudly in greeting, wanting nothing more than to drag Reiner away. He'd wanted to annoy Levi tonight, but he didn't want to spend the evening watching Levi be all over his fucking girlfriend. It was the first time tonight that he regretted this whole idea.

Levi's eyes flickered from Eren to Reiner as the burly blonde Alpha smirked at him, "You don't mind if we share your table do you?" Levi's jaw twitched as he clenched his teeth. What the fuck was Eren thinking? Showing up with **this** fucking guy... Reiner was literally the worst Alpha Eren could have chosen and there was the echo of Carla's words in the back of Levi's head and he swore under his breath. He should have expected it...

He grunted when Krista pinched his side, and he looked at her, realizing he'd been taking too long to answer the asshole and she'd taken to prompting him. He smiled tightly, silver stare narrowing on Eren once again and he was grateful that the club was so packed because his scent was lost in the others mingling around them, potent with irritation and no small amount of jealousy and possession. "Sure, why not?" He agreed in a bitingly pleasant tone, gesturing with his unoccupied hand to the extra seats at their table.

Reiner's grin spread further and he didn't waste any time in sliding into one of the seats across and a little to the left of Krista, looking her over as he sat down without an ounce of discretion, and instead of allowing Eren his own seat, he attempted to pull the brunette Omega into his lap for the time being. He waved over a waitress with his unoccupied hand, waiting until he'd caught her eye before he turned his attention back to the table.

Eren squeaked as Reiner tugged him backwards unexpectedly into the man's lap. He wanted his _own_ damn seat, but whatever. Eren could work with this. He turned sideways in Reiner's lap, crossing his legs as he curled one arm around the Alpha's neck to balance himself like he had decided to sit in the man's lap all by himself.

He turned his attention to the petite blonde that Levi was all over. "Hi I'm Eren. Levi is my contractor. And this is my date, Reiner," he said pleasantly, reaching out his hand to shake hers.

"It's nice to meet you both," Krista said sweetly, taking Eren's hand in her own lightly, leaning across the table to reach.

Eren released her hand and looked her up and down. "Jesus Levi. Did you pick her up from middle school? How'd you sneak her into the club?" he asked teasingly, judgement in his eyes as he stared Levi down.

"Oh no!" said Krista, taking Eren seriously, "I'm way above age. I just look so young because I'm so short." She giggled nervously and took a sip of her drink.

Levi's eyes had narrowed further while Eren let himself be pulled into Reiner's lap, not missing the flash of almost discomfort that flickered over his former Omega's face, but he didn't comment, leaning further back in his own seat and rubbing his thumb over Krista's soft shoulder idly as he let her lean back into his side once she'd greeted the other couple.

"Her name's Krista. She's actually older than you," Levi commented lowly, looking directly at Eren, gaze heated and warning.

Reiner chuckled, "And she hasn't had any work done? That's impressive. You're one lucky son of a bitch, huh Levi?"

Levi's glare shifted from his ex to Reiner, "Are you implying you aren't so lucky?"

"Ah haha, no. Eren's got it going on, but you know some of us gotta work harder to keep fit right?"

Levi popped his jaw, slanting his gaze and lowering his lashes, "Right..."

Eren turned his head to pout at Reiner though on the inside he was seething mad. How dare he suggest that Levi's girlfriend was better than him. He was better in _every_ way.

He batted his eyelashes innocently at Reiner. "Are you unsatisfied, Alpha? I could go find someone else to be my date. It looks like it wouldn't be hard," he gestured around the room, pointing out several Alphas that couldn't seem to take their eyes off of Eren.

Reiner chuckled and pet Eren's side, "Not at all baby. I'm _very_ satisfied. I got exactly what I wanted," he assured, placating the brunette smoothly, meeting Levi's gaze from across the table and smirking. Levi smiled tightly in return, but kept stubbornly silent.

He was glad when the waitress finally came over to their table and he allowed Reiner to order for himself and Eren without consulting the Omega before he prompted Krista to order whatever she liked and had her order him another Rye and ginger with lime, but made it a double. He could fucking use it. This was **painful**.

Eren pouted even further when Reiner ordered his drink for him. He _hated_ sweet drinks and the man got him a fucking cosmopolitan. Eren felt like he needed twenty shots of tequila to salvage his night and he didn't want to be around Levi and his stupid prissy girlfriend any longer.

Not waiting for their drinks, Eren hopped off Reiner's lap before the man could hold him down. A waitress was passing them with glow in the dark shots and he grabbed two throwing them back before he was pulling on Reiner's arm. "C'mon! I wanna dance." A new song was coming on and it was one of Eren's favourites. He would leave the Alpha behind if necessary.

Reiner let out a sigh and rolled his eyes in Levi's direction, "Duty calls," he excused, sending a cheeky wink in Krista's direction before he let Eren pull him out to the dance floor, immediately pulling him in close against him once they were out in the press of bodies.

Levi growled lowly as he watched the entire display take place, anger and jealous possessiveness that had no business even passing in his mind rose up bitterly in his chest and punched him in the gut. He hated it. Fucking **hated** it... Seeing Eren playing a part for some other Alpha that definitely didn't deserve him was vicious, almost torturous in its aching inflammatory rage. And it was worse because he knew... He just fucking **knew** Eren had chosen Reiner to infuriate him, to attempt to get a rise out of him and though he was doing a good job keeping it from the brunette, it was having a definite affect.

He blinked and turned to look at his date when Krista tentatively touched her fingertips to his clenched jaw and looked at him with a sort of understanding that made him feel entirely guilty.

Eren pulled Reiner out to the middle of the dance floor, managing to down two more glowing shots on his way there. He was ready to just dance and have a good time. What he was not ready for was for Reiner to immediately turn him around and press his groin into the Omega's ass. It was a little soon to be grinding, and he was a little too sober, but whatever, he rolled his eyes and wrapped his arms around Reiner's neck as the Alpha held him by the hips and kept his nose on his scent gland.

Dancing to the beat, Eren rolled his hips against Reiner seductively, as the man eagerly thrust into him, reaching down to snap at his garter belts. It was kind of annoying; they were dancing, not having sex. Although with the way Reiner was moving, if Eren wasn't wearing shorts, he was sure there'd be a cock up his ass.

Eren's eyes roamed over the dance floor, looking at all the couples writhing together and covering each other in paint. His eyes strayed back to Levi though, accidentally catching the man's eyes on him as he danced. That was unexpected. If he had an audience, he figured he’d better step up his game. He turned in Reiner's arms as the man's knee pressed between his legs and he rolled his body on it. 

Levi snarled and jerked his head away, forcibly averting his gaze from Eren and Reiner. He didn't want to watch the other Alpha staking a claim on the Omega and he didn't want to watch Eren begrudgingly accepting it. He didn't need to see the simulation of the way Reiner planned to fuck Eren; it was too much. He looked at Krista who was watching him from beneath her mascara clad lashes as she sipped her drink daintily, still leaning comfortably against his side. "Sorry Honeybee," he murmured, shifting his arm around her and leaning to speak closer to her ear.

"Oh, no, it's alright. So he's the one that came before me, huh?" she said knowingly, shifting her legs over Levi's and laying her head against his shoulder so they could better speak and hear each other over the static bray of music and other conversation. Levi's fingers twitched on her shoulder and it was answer enough.

"Yeah, I didn't know he would be here tonight and I definitely didn't think he'd bring that asshole as his date. I don't know why they came over here in the first place. I think Eren's trying to fuck with me, but I don't even understand why. The break up was kind of a mutual thing," he tried to explain, trying not to look back at the Omega in question.

Krista nibbled on her straw, "Mutual as in he said he was no longer alright with the status quo and you jumped at the chance to run instead of seeing what would happen if you stuck around?" She rolled her bright eyes upwards to look at him and he furrowed his brows.

"How do you do that?" he asked, meeting her gaze, confusion and guilt in his own.

"I had an Alpha for almost ten years Levi and she refused to bond. I said I wanted kids and she said she wanted to go off to war. Joining the armed forces was an easy way out. It was _mutual_ too," she said, giving him a meaningful look. He frowned in return and gave her a little squeeze.

He sighed, "You're way too good for me buttercup. You should be leaving right now. Why aren't you?"

"You seem like you need an excuse and I suppose I do too, just until we figure things out, hm? Who knows what will happen tomorrow; I've decided to live in the moment for now," she replied before slurping up the rest of her drink loudly and then grinning at him. He just shook his head, completely blindsided by her easygoing and accepting response to the information.

She nudged him, "He doesn't look like he's enjoying himself all that much, does he?"

On the dancefloor, Eren was too busy trying to show off to Levi that when Reiner burst forward to capture his lips, he was completely surprised and almost fell backwards. Reiner kept a hold on his waist and Eren bent as he tried to move away from Reiner, but he was trapped and the Alpha delved deeper into Eren's mouth, ignoring Eren's hands trying to push him away.

Levi stiffened, going rigid and growling unconsciously as he followed her gaze to where Reiner was groping Eren and devouring his mouth while the Omega was clearly trying to escape him. He almost jumped from his seat before Krista stayed him. "Watch the table, I got it," she said as she slipped away from him, Reiner and Eren's drinks in her hands.

When she was close enough, she bumped right into the large blonde and effectively splashed a cold rush of alcohol and fruit juice on his back.

Reiner stood up straight and released Eren, growling in anger as he turned around to find who the hell had dumped a drink on him. Beside him, Eren coughed and sputtered, finally able to breathe now that he was released from the tongue that had been going down his throat and choking him.

“Oh my gosh! I am so sorry,” said Krista, holding two empty drinks, “I was just trying to bring you guys your drinks! You should go get cleaned up Reiner.” The look of concern looked genuine, so Reiner just huffed and walked off the dance floor to head to the bathroom, abandoning his date completely without a word.

When Eren was able to talk, he stood up straight and gave Krista a wary look. “Thanks… I guess,” he said rubbing the back of his neck while he looked away. His green lipstick was now all over his mouth but there was no way to fix it without going to the bathroom and wiping it off, so he just rubbed it off on his arm.

A new song came on, and it was one of Eren's all time favourites and he perked up again with a smile. “Um… Do you want to dance with me until my Alpha comes back?” he asked Krista with a sheepish smile. He didn't want to dance alone. Eren had come to this club to have fun. Since she'd saved him, maybe she'd be willing to have some fun with him before she went back to her date. She was making it hard for him to hate her.

The petite blonde passed off the empty glasses to a server that happened by and turned her attention back to Eren with a bright, friendly smile. "Sure! I wanted to dance, but Levi's stuck watching the table for now," she said, voice rising in volume to be heard over the music as she sidled up closer to the other Omega, the technicolour lights flickering and reflecting in her crystal blue eyes. She reached to grab at his hips, dainty fingers gripping the belt loops of his tiny shorts and pulling him closer so that they could begin swaying and rolling with the heady beat of the music.

"I meant to tell you, I love your outfit. You look super sexy," she complimented, tiptoeing slightly so he would be able to hear her.

Eren tipped back his head and laughed out loud. This was not what he was expecting at all. But it was not unwelcome. He leaned down to respond, smelling her Omegan scent that reminded him of his favourite treat; vanilla ice cream. He immediately nosed behind her ear and purred, "You look really pretty too. Love the wings. It's gonna look great when you’re covered in paint." With that he moved his hands to her tiny waist, petting up and down her sides. It actually felt good to be the dominant, even if it was for one dance.

Krista beamed at him. "Right? That's why I wanted to dress up like this tonight. You know, I'm not really an angel," she said cheekily, rolling her hips in demonstration and winking at him, the tip of her tongue pinched between her teeth in an adorable impish expression, perfectly happy to have a good time with the other Omega. She slipped her hands up his chest, delicate fingers splayed over his torso as they moved together.

She didn't know exactly what had happened between he and Levi, but she could tell they were both hurting and still very much interested in one another. Levi was right about Eren's date; she could tell Reiner wasn't what Eren really wanted. She wasn't going to meddle, but she also couldn't just let another Omega let himself do something he obviously wasn't enjoying just to prove a point. She knew what it was like and she didn't want to see him hurt himself further. She didn't have a problem playing both understanding girlfriend to the Alpha and comrade to the other Omega until the two of them figured out things for themselves.

"Mm I can see that," Eren said, licking his lips as he watched their bodies move together. It was kinda hot. Maybe he should switch to Omegas? Since all Alphas seemed to be assholes.

He took her hand and spun her around with a laugh, then came up behind her, placing his hands on her hips as he nosed into her neck. It was the same position he had been in with Reiner, but the way they moved was actual dancing, not fucking on the dance floor. As they moved together to the beat, they were starting to get quite the audience; Alphas that were interested in such an erotic display of two hot Omegas dancing sensually.

Krista giggled and leaned back into the taller Omega, slipping one arm up around the back of his neck, her other slipping back to his thigh, thoroughly enjoying herself, pleased to be dancing without any expectations. It was nice.

She blinked when there was suddenly another pair of hands on her sides and an unfamiliar Alpha was in front of her, heat in his eyes as he closed in while his friend maneuvered behind Eren, boldly sandwiching the two Omegas between them.

After Reiner had finally cleaned himself up in the bathroom, he made his way back to the table to get a drink before he joined his Omega once again. Flopping next to Levi, he looked for Eren who he found was dancing seductively with Krista. "Isn't that a pretty picture?" he said to Levi with a crooked grin, pointing to the two Omegas on the dance floor.

When Eren felt an unknown Alpha come up behind him, he immediately elbowed the guy in the gut hard. Then he basically picked up Krista to maneuver her away from the guy that was trying to grind on her front, caging her in and defending the little blonde with his own body. "Fuck off," he snarled, holding Krista close to him for protection, "We are trying to dance here. Take your disgusting bodies elsewhere."

Levi had one arm crossed over his chest, the other holding his drink and periodically swirling it's contents and lifting it to his mouth to take sips of the cool liquid while he watched his current Omega and his former Omega moving together on the dance floor, eyes narrowing at the encroaching Alphas around them, but he didn't move to step in... Yet.

His gaze flickered to the blonde Alpha when Reiner plopped down into the seat next to him and he snorted. "It'd be prettier if those pushy shitheads left them alone," he replied, lifting his drink to his lips again as his narrowed silver gaze darkened and turned back to the scene that was becoming increasingly heated on the dance floor.

Krista didn't fight Eren when he moved her, but she did bare her teeth at the persistent Alphas that were surrounding the two of them, her scent rising with aggressive warning. She was small and delicate, but she was hardly frail and weak. She dug her fingernails viciously into the forearm of an Alpha that had overzealously slid his arm around Eren's waist from behind while the other Omega was attempting to protect her and hissed angrily in agreement with her brunette counterpart. They certainly didn't need any Alphas and they hadn't been dancing together as a damn invitation.

Eren continued to growl and snarl, his head whipping all around to try and keep an eye on all the potential threats.

"C'mon cuties, dance with us!" said an Alpha in Eren's ear, attempting to pull the Omega away and surround him while they pulled Krista out of his arms.

"Krista!" he yelled, fighting to get back to her, but he was completely caged in. He looked up frantically to search for a bouncer, then looked towards their table for help from their Alphas. Eren could hold his own, but he was really worried about the small blonde being surrounded by herself. "Reiner! Levi! Help!" he called, even though there was no way they could hear him over the music.

Reiner shook his head at the other Alpha. "You don't like knowing your Omega is fuckable? Like look at that," he said as he gestured with his glass to the press of Alphas petting and pulling the two Omegas away from each other to dance with them forcefully.

Levi was hardly coherent. Neither Krista nor Eren was enjoying the attention and it was obvious to the raven Alpha. As he watched them be forced apart and engulfed while both Omegas attempted to escape and make it back to one another, he'd had enough. "I don't have to watch other Alphas fondle my Omegas to know they're fuckable. They're not fucking trophies. I don't let other Alphas assault my Omegas to boost my own ego," he growled lowly in response though he doubted Reiner heard him properly over the music. He slammed his near empty glass back down on the table and stormed down onto the dance floor, his scent blasting dominance and possessiveness, aggressive and threatening as he weaved through the crowd to pull the Alphas off Krista first, shoving them aside roughly and pulling her against his side, scenting her intently so that any Alphas in the general vicinity would get the hint.

He'd expected Reiner to follow his lead, but the other Alpha was still sitting at the table, sipping his drink and watching the show with a sort of amused and arrogant pride. Levi could hear Eren cursing and calling for assistance and he could smell him. Krista pressed against him, her arms wrapping up around his neck and she tiptoed so that she could talk to him frantically, obviously overwhelmed by just how many Alphas had accosted her and Eren and how completely persistent they were in their pursuit.

"Where's Reiner? We can't leave Eren... Those assholes won't back off. Why isn't his Alpha coming to help?"

Levi snarled, wrapping a protective arm around her in response and wading through the bodies to retrieve the brunette Omega, hardly needing the prompting from his current girlfriend. His ferocious and deadly scent made the Alphas around Eren hesitate and he roughly grabbed the closest one by the scruff of the neck and shoved him into his buddy, making them both stumble, knocking into others. There was some cursing and growling both from them and from Levi and Krista as the raven Alpha's hand sought Eren, clamping down around the Omega's wrist and yanking him through the space Levi had created.

Eren couldn't break free of the Alphas and he wondered where the fuck Reiner was when a familiar hand grabbed him and pulled him from the press of bodies. "Thanks," he said with a smile, looking up as he caught his breath, "I couldn't break free..." His voice trailed off as he looked at Krista wrapped in Levi's arms and scented the air. Levi had marked her. Protected her because she was his Omega and Eren was not. He should be grateful the man had come and helped him at all when he didn't really have any reason to, especially given how strained things had been between the two of them.

He yanked his arm out of Levi's grasp like he had been burned. "I need a drink," he said, walking passed them, "You guys have fun." He retreated from the dance floor swiftly with burning eyes and an aching heart, completely ignoring Reiner who'd simply sat on his ass while Eren was being assaulted, and made his way to the bar instead.

Leaning on the counter, he got the bartender's attention then ordered four shots of tequila with salt and lemons. He was going to drink until it didn't hurt anymore.

Levi clenched his teeth and jerked his head to the side in irritation when Eren ripped his arm away and immediately dismissed the interaction between them and Levi scented the threads of bitterness on Eren's skin, but he didn't stop the brunette when he broke away from he and Krista. He was angry and upset by the way Eren was acting, not liking the way that his former Omega was behaving so recklessly and was so clearly hurting. Levi didn't know what he was supposed to do, what Eren wanted him to do. They were both here with different people for Christ's sake and Eren had wanted this.

The press of soft lips to his collarbone and the massaging of smooth fingertips on the nape of his neck drew his attention back to his date and he looked down at the small blonde in his arms. She smiled up at him and he smiled back and when she pulled him in to press a grateful kiss to his mouth, he let her, even though there was no particular passion in it for either of them and the plush, small mouth was not the one he wanted, but it was comforting at the least and easy.

And when Krista pressed closer and began to move against him, he moved with her. This is what he'd come for in the first place. He wasn't supposed to be playing hero for an Omega he had already let go of. He let himself be lost in the beat and the softness of Krista's body and the playful movements when she snagged some paint for them to cover each other in. By the time they were panting with exertion and ready for a break, several songs had come and gone and they were both speckled and streaked with luminescent paint of varying colours and mingling with sparkles and sweat and it was the best distraction he'd had all night.

By his eighth shot of tequila, Eren was feeling pretty good. The lights in the air were pretty and there were Alphas surrounding him and calling him pretty. He _was_ pretty. In his drunken haze, he found Levi and Krista on the dance floor; entwined with each other. They looked good together and Krista was nice. Eren needed to let Levi go.

Standing up and swaying on his heels, he made his way to their seating and found Reiner. "We... Have barely... Have barely seen each other _hic_ tonight," he said with a giggle, sitting closely next to Reiner and cuddling up with the man, nuzzling his head into his arm. Eren wanted warmth and comfort so he might as well get it from the Alpha who'd brought him here tonight.

The blonde Alpha had had an eye on Eren while the Omega was at the bar, watching while other Alphas fawned over him and bought him drinks. Well, that was alright, saved him having to pay for all of them. He was hardly worried about the Omega going home with any of them. Not a single one was a threat. Eren would find his way back where he should be. And sure enough, he did.

Reiner smirked as the obviously intoxicated brunette seated himself on the padded booth like seat where Levi had originally been sitting next to him and he immediately pulled the Omega in closer. He rubbed his hands up and down over Eren's side and back, feeling his sweaty skin appreciatively. "Hmm, you have fun getting all those Alphas riled up baby? I had fun watching you," he murmured, shifting so that he could press the hardness in his pants against the other male suggestively to demonstrate how much he'd enjoyed watching Eren fighting off other Alphas.

Eren snaked his hands around Reiner's neck, smelling the man and trying to get lost in the Alpha's scent. "I-I want... I want love... Do you... Do you love me?" Eren asked Reiner, his eyes wide and glassy as he looked for reassurance and acceptance, completely ignoring the Alpha's sexual advances.

Reiner chuckled, pressing his own face against the side of Eren's neck, mouthing along his throat, lapping up the bittersweet sweat from his skin. "Mm, sure baby, I'll love you as much as you want," he murmured against the Omega's collar, nipping enough to sting and leave a mark, rubbing thick hands over the other male's back appreciatively, scent curling around them, intent with desire and dominance. He was slowly attempting to lay Eren back onto the cushioned seat, still petting at him soothingly and laving attention on his neck and jaw.

"Okay," Eren slurred, slumping back into the cushion, splayed out awkwardly under Reiner, "Be my Alpha then... Be together... Love each other..." His skin was numb; he didn't even feel Reiner's hands roam over his body. All he could feel was warmth and smell a scent that wanted him. It was nice to be wanted. So he didn't push the warmth away.

Eren stared up at the lights that danced all around him. They were beautiful although his eyes kept closing and he had to keep forcing them back open. He tried to reach up and touch them when blonde hair and blue eyes blocked his view. "H-Hi... You're so pre... Pretty... An angel," he slurred with a giggle, his eyelids drooping closed again.

Reiner rumbled his pleased agreement to the Omega's slurred mumbling and continued feeling him up until a deep growl sounded somewhere next to them and scents of concern and warning assaulted him. He pulled back to squint at Levi and Krista as the other couple approached them.

Krista immediately hovered over Eren's prone form on the cushioned seat while Levi stood a few feet away, hip cocked and arms crossed tightly over his chest, glaring intently at Reiner who leaned back and licked his lips, rubbing the back of his neck sheepishly. Maybe he'd gotten a little carried away; they were in public after all.

Krista smiled down at Eren, her eyes soft and warm and she brushed his hair back from his sweaty face gently. "Not as pretty as you and I told you, I'm no angel," she cooed, leaning further over him to straighten out his clothing since his date had been groping him and left it in rather indecent disarray. She could smell the alcohol and desperation on him and her smile turned sympathetic and a little sad. "I think you've had enough. Do you want to go home Eren?"

"So... So pretty... I li-hic... I like you... Do... Do you like me?" Eren mumbled, one eye open so he would only see one image as he lifted a hand to reach up and play with Krista's hair, not acknowledging her question.

"Mhmm, sure I do sweetheart, dunno why he let you go... Silly Alphas," she said, more to herself than to Eren as she tilted her head and watched him from under lowered lashes for a few moments, running her own fingers through his tangled hair soothingly. He was drunk, very drunk and he was certainly not coherent enough to be making any sort of proper judgement. Her gaze flickered to Reiner and narrowed with suspicion before she glanced to Levi instead, catching his eye and holding his gaze.

"We should take him home," she prompted and Levi grunted in affirmation, unwilling to argue though he wanted to whilst at the same time he couldn't fathom letting the pushy blonde bastard take Eren home. Considering what he and Krista had returned to, Levi couldn't possibly leave Eren in the other Alpha's _care_. He had a feeling that Reiner's biggest concern was Reiner and not his Omega.

The blonde Alpha perked up and looked at the Omegas and back at Levi, reaching out to perhaps pull Eren away from Krista and into his arms, "Hey, I can take him back to his place. He's my Omega--"

"Not yet, he's not. And if you take him back to his place and continue what you started here, you're never going to get the chance to be," Levi said, hand suddenly gripped firmly around Reiner's wrist and stopping him from grasping at the inebriated brunette. Reiner looked at the pale fingers around his thick wrist and then back at the equally pale skinned Alpha. Levi let him go immediately after and the blonde sat back in defeat.

"Yeah, you're right, thanks man," he said and Levi pursed his lips in distaste. He didn't like how Reiner spoke to him so familiarly, like they understood one another, like they were _bros_ or something and it was all so fake and false. They weren't anything alike and Levi hated the way the blonde seemed to think that they were, as if he was sure that Levi was just like him and pretended to be some kind of better Alpha when he was just like the rest of them deep down. He was so very wrong.

Krista was carefully coaxing Eren into a somewhat upright position while Levi stepped around the table to assist her and Reiner simply stood watching for several moments before he decided to head to the bar to get himself another drink. No reason he couldn't since the other couple was taking responsibility for his Omega for the evening and he needed to clear his head anyhow. Levi was right; if he took Eren home, he'd definitely want to fuck him and Eren was in no position to consent or refuse him so it would likely end badly and he **did** want a future with the Omega. He had plans for the two of them.

Levi scoffed when Reiner disappeared over to the bar and he wasted no time in assisting his current Omega in getting Eren upright. He held his breath as he hoisted Eren up and over his shoulder, grunting in response to Krista's protests and reminders to be gentle with the other Omega.

"Weeeeee," Eren said with a giggle, flailing limply as he hung over Levi's shoulder. "This is funnnnnnnnnnnn... Spin me," he said, slapping at the Alpha's back weakly, trying to get him to listen.

Levi wrapped one arm around the backs of Eren's thighs securely and rubbed his forehead with his unoccupied hand in exasperation, heaving a suffering sigh as he turned to look at the little blonde Omega that was collecting Eren's little purse and tucking it under her arm before she was leading the way out of the club. And not a single person even stopped to question them.


	16. Sinking Foundations

Once outside and at Levi's truck, Krista dug the keys out of Levi's pocket at the hip beneath Eren's legs, avoiding the flailing limbs as she did. She unlocked it with a sharp yip from the vehicle and opened the door to the backseat, climbing inside and across the seat to the far side before she was reaching out to receive the other Omega from the Alpha.

Eren's world shifted again as he was tucked into the back seat with Krista, and he curled around her and nosed into her neck to smell her sweet Omegan aroma. The vehicle started to move and he whimpered in distress, starting to be unhappy being so dizzy. Krista pet his hair soothingly and he sighed, happy that someone cared about him.

Sniffing at Krista's neck, Eren mumbled with a grin, "You... You smell like vanilla... I smell like vanilla... We are twins!"

The blonde giggled and shifted at the ticklish feeling of Eren's breath against her neck, "Mm, maybe, but you have something more exotic to yours, tropical like at the ocean," she murmured quietly in response, still petting him lightly to keep him calm and hopefully to help him to keep from throwing up in Levi's truck while the Alpha was driving. Eren's scent mingled familiarly with the Alpha's and she quirked a little smile; they were well suited for one another. What a shame...

Levi turned the music on low in the front seat, trying to drown out the two Omegas murmuring to each other in his backseat. This night had turned out so far from what he'd expected, he wasn't even sure what to think. This was not any way to help get over whatever lingering possessive and protective feelings he was harbouring for Eren and yet, those same feelings would not allow him to simply abandon the Omega even though Krista was there, even though there wasn't supposed to be anything between them anymore. He had no obligation, but like with the renovations, he hadn't been able to just disappear like he should. He heaved a sigh and took the turn off for Eren's house. What the fuck was this?

"You're pretty... And smell good... I should... I should steal you from Levi..." Eren said with a giggle, nuzzling into Krista and marking her with his scent. "There. Now you're mine... And and... Yeah... Levi... Can suck a cock! He can be lonely instead of me!" he said then burst out into a fit of laughter, like what he did was the funniest thing in the world.

Krista tucked some of her own hair behind one of her ears and wrapped her other arm around the other Omega. "I'm sure he can," she said with a giggle, resting her chin against Eren's shoulder, "As for being lonely, I'm pretty sure he already is sweetheart," she murmured close to his ear so that Levi wouldn't overhear the two of them. She didn't think the Alpha would appreciate it.

Eren tried to sit up, confusion on his face, unable to understand what Krista meant when he was drunk like this. It didn't matter though because the truck came to a stop so that meant he must be home. “We’re hommmmmmmmeeee,” Eren said with a smile and a giggle.

Krista nodded emphatically and assisted Eren, supporting a majority of his weight as he slumped in the seat liquidly, giggling in his inebriated state and she couldn't help, but smile and giggle herself.

Levi got out of the truck and made his way around the pickup to retrieve the drunken Omega and get him inside. He opened the back door on the passenger side and tugged at one of Eren's ankles, "C'mere Eren, I'm gonna carry you inside," he coaxed, leaning inside the back cab of the truck, already attempting to slip his arms under the practically boneless male. He pressed his keys into Krista's hand, "His house key's the one with the green cover."

Eren flailed, managing to wrap his arms around Levi's neck, going from nosing into Krista's scent gland to nosing into Levi's. The alcohol in his system didn't let him realize who he was sniffing, so when the smell hit him, he gasped and dived further in, nuzzling against his ex like he had when they were still together. "You smell... **Good** ," Eren whined dazedly, his own scent flooding the air in response. He hadn't let his scent out like this in weeks and it was strong, engulfing the cab of the truck almost immediately.

Levi couldn't help the shudder when Eren buried his face against his neck in an entirely too familiar and affectionate gesture and then his scent rose up in potent waves like Levi hadn't had the privilege of breathing it in so long. He actually groaned, but he managed to control the instinctive urge to burrow his own face against the Omega's throat in response to the alluring scent that was all wanting. Damn compatibility...

The Alpha closed his eyes and just breathed for several moments, trying to reign in the rampant instincts that had risen so abruptly and so eagerly after having been deprived for weeks and why did Eren feel so damn right in his arms? It wasn't so long ago he'd been carrying him like this after they'd had sex so intense the Omega couldn't walk. He swallowed hard and bit his cheek to ground himself and thrust those thoughts to the back of his mind. Eren wasn't his anymore.

"I know sweetness, just hang on," he said without conscious thought, the familiarity of the scent and touch of the Omega making him forget that he wasn’t supposed to call him that anymore. He lifted Eren out of the backseat of the truck carefully, glad when he could breathe in lungfuls of fresh air without the dizzying intensity of Eren in the closed cab of the truck. He adjusted the other male in his arms, holding him bridal style and curling him close to his chest to make sure he was secure since he was hardly coherent.

Krista climbed out behind him, face flushed and eyes glassy from the wash of pheromones the two males had released in the truck and she adjusted her clothing, peeled off her wings and tossed them into the backseat before she closed the door and made her way to Eren's front door to unlock it, the other Omega's purse still tucked under her arm as she pressed the designated key into the lock and swung the door open for Levi as he carried Eren up the sidewalk, cradling him sweetly.

“Mmm I must... Be... Be dreaming again," Eren slurred, running his nose up and down Levi's neck and breathing into the man's ear. "I missed... I missed you... So much. Hurts. Pain... Gotta let you go... Gonna let you go... But you smell so good... I miss you and it hurts... Gonna let you go now..." he mumbled to what he thought was dream Levi when in reality, it was the man himself. "I miss you... I want you... Just one more taste... You aren't real anyway," Eren said, his tongue darting out to taste the Alpha's scent on his tongue, then opening his mouth to suck marks into Levi's skin.

Levi growled low in his throat, the sound vibrating through his chest, arousal crawling unbidden beneath his skin and he had to fight not to encourage the Omega further. Eren was drunk, totally inebriated and didn't know what he was saying or doing. If he were sober, he would never say any of those things and for some reason that realization sent a sharp pain lancing through Levi's chest. He tightened his grip on Eren a little and took another calming breath, unable to turn his head away enough to deter the mouth at his neck.

And he wanted him... Fuck, he wanted him. His body remembered him and craved him, throbbed and ached and begged for Levi to give in to it, but Eren didn't mean it. He couldn't... And if Levi gave in, he really would be no different than any of those other Alphas. "Don't say that stuff sweetness. You're not playing fair," he murmured huskily, unable to control the silky quality of his voice as he carried Eren over the threshold while Krista sought out a light, turning on one of the little lamps in the living room, setting Eren's little purse on the table next to it and looking around his home with interest while Levi slipped down the familiar hallway, intending to put Eren into his bed before he and Krista left for his place.

"M'sorry... M'sorry Levi... I can't help it... I miss you... Sorry... Sorry," the brunette mumbled, starting to sniffle as tears filled his eyes. He kept sucking marks into Levi's neck, lapping up the slick scent that was accumulating, holding onto Levi tightly. Eren's arousal grew with every swipe of his tongue until his body shuddered and he felt himself slick. "Wow," he slurred with a sniffle and a breathy giggle, "I didn't know dream Levi could do that too... Maybe I should just stay asleep forever."

Levi's nostrils flared and the throbbing ache in his body became almost unbearable when the scent of slick rose and he could **feel** it dampening Eren's tiny shorts and thighs where he held him and he very nearly lost himself. "I'm real sweetness. I'm real and you're drunk. I'm going to tuck you in," he managed to grate through clenched teeth, voice strained as muscles tensed and relaxed while he worked to control himself. It was so fucking hard when Eren was being so sweet and he smelled so damn good and he was in such a vulnerable state that it had the Alpha's instincts in overdrive and at war with desires. In the end, the desire to protect the Omega won out, even if he was protecting Eren from himself. He bent to lay him down on his mattress, intending to do as he'd said, take off his heels and tuck him in for the night and pretend the whole thing had never happened because it shouldn't have.

Eren snorted loudly as he laid in his soft bed, body feeling like lead as slick leaked out of him. “Real Levi hates me… Nooooo, you're my dream Levi… And you're all **mine** right now,” he said as he grabbed at Levi and pulled him down as he bent over Eren's body. Planting a wet, sloppy kiss on Levi's mouth, he whispered, “Stay with me… Be my Alpha again one last time… Then I'll let you go.”

Levi made a sound into the kiss somewhere between a whine and a groan and it was all desperation. He slipped his hands back around his neck over Eren's and breathed harshly against the Omega's mouth as Eren's words tore at him in ways he couldn't even define. "I can't do that. If I... If I was your Alpha again, I don't think I could let you go and I have to sweetness. I don't deserve you," he murmured hoarsely, voice barely more than a strained whisper as he tugged Eren's hands away, half kneeling on the bed with the other male. He pressed Eren's hands to his chest and held them there with gentle firmness. He should leave, but he **needed** to be sure Eren was tucked in and comfortable before he could leave him again.

"Okay Alpha," Eren said with a sad smile, his green eyes wide, glassy, and filled with unshed tears. "I'm letting you go now," he said with a sigh, his eyes finally fluttering closed as he lay still, saying goodbye to the love he felt for Levi.

That same jarring, searing pain echoed in Levi's chest again and so strong this time that his breath caught. He closed his eyes and turned away, biting the inside of his cheek until he could breathe again.

He opened his eyes and released a breath, busying himself with removing Eren's heels and letting them slip to the floor with a dull thud and then he maneuvered the bedding to cover the other male, tucking it in tenderly around him.

He sat on the edge of the bed for long moments and looked at the Omega's somewhat sad, serene expression, unseeing as he tried to process the tearing rawness inside him. Maybe that was the feeling of being let go..?

He didn't like it, but there was nothing to be done. In time, it would fade like everything else. He stood up and bent over Eren, ruffling his hair and leaning to press a kiss to his forehead. "I'd never be able to keep you anyway sweetness... It's better this way. Goodbye Eren."

And then he was gone before he could focus on the lie he'd told, before he could take it back. He wasn't even sure what he believed anymore. This certainly didn't feel better.

***

Krista sat awkwardly in Eren's living room, waiting for Levi to come out of the Omega's bedroom and starting to wonder what she would do if he _didn't_ come out. But it wasn't a very serious thought; Eren was drunk and Levi wasn't that kind of Alpha.

She looked around his house a bit as she waited, thinking that it suited Eren nicely as she smiled to herself. She liked Eren. He was adorable. This entire situation was weird, but she felt she could just be there for Levi until he was ready to figure out his feelings. After tonight, Krista knew Levi's feelings, but didn't think Levi knew himself. It was complicated and messy, but she felt it was best if he figured it out on his own.

Levi finally walked down the hall, looking broken and smelling aroused. Was that... Was that slick? "Is Eren okay? Need me to do anything," she asked, standing up with concern.

Levi glanced at her when she spoke, a lost look in the half dilated and misty mercury of his eyes and he shook his head a little. "He'll be alright. He's sleeping now. We should go. You still have my keys?" he murmured, voice still low and a bit strained as he came toward her and reached for one of her hands. He wanted to go home; he wanted to forget whatever this sick aching feeling was and he wanted Krista to make him forget. He hoped she would be _able_ to make him forget.

"Okay," she agreed, giving him a worried smile as she held out her hand for him to take. Whatever had happened in Eren’s bedroom had obviously shaken Levi and she wanted to help make it better. "I have them right here, let's go," she said, tugging on his arm. She locked Eren's house then walked to Levi's truck, only letting go of the man's hand as she hopped into the front seat.

Levi let her lead the way out of the house and got into the truck as she did, peeling his wings off and tossing them in the backseat. He didn't say anything to her as he drove, but he set his hand on her stocking-clad leg lightly, not groping or even rubbing his fingertips along her thigh teasingly, just settled it there and left it until they reached his house.

Once he'd pulled into the driveway, he got out and lead the way to the door, that same hand he had been resting on her leg now on her lower back and not really pressing her, but begging her to let him lead her. He just needed a distraction, just for a little while. That ache was still in him and it felt like it was spreading. He just wanted it to go away. If he could just lose himself for awhile, get lost in the pretty little Omega that really wasn't expecting anything from him, maybe he could forget for a while...

Krista didn't fight Levi, but she kept sending him concerned glances, not exactly sure what to say. After he opened the door and guided her inside, she finally asked, "Are you okay, Levi? Is there anything I can do?" She bit her lip and stared at Levi, waiting for an answer as she scented his anxiety in the air.

Phoenix was on his secondary bed pillow beneath the steps to Levi's loft and was watching the pair curiously, but didn't move from where he was, stilled by the scent coming from his master.

Levi wet his lips, drew in a breath and met her gaze as steadily as he could, unable to pull his normal charm into place. The whole evening had left him off balanced and feeling distinctly vulnerable. He slid both his hands to her hips, thumbing small circles over the silky, paint spattered material of her dress and he pulled her closer. "I... Will you come to bed with me?"

Krista's eyes widened as she hesitated a moment. She had not been expecting that question after everything that had happened this evening. But Levi looked upset and like he needed something, anything. If this was what he wanted, she wouldn't refuse him. She could use a bit of a distraction herself.

Her gaze softened as she wrapped her arms around his neck and stood on her tiptoes to kiss him sweetly on the mouth. "Yeah sure," she said when she pulled back, breathing in his scent. They both smelled like Eren, the Omega had managed to scent mark them both, but she didn't mind. If they did this; it wouldn't be for love. Krista knew it was purely comfort for both of them.

Levi let out a breath he hadn't meant to hold and inhaled deeply the lingering coconut sweetness of Eren's mark and let it burn in his lungs and spread under his skin. His eyes closed and he pressed in for another kiss, more heated than the petite blonde's had been and he could almost believe the lips he was kissing weren't hers, almost. She didn't taste the way Eren did and it was disappointing in a profound way, but he shoved it down, and pulled away from her lips to instead press his own to her neck where Eren's scent was stronger and he could taste just the lightest threads and that was enough for now. He made a desperate sound and lifted her, moving through his flat with blind familiarity, up the stairs to his loft room and onto the bed.

Krista didn't protest when Levi picked her up, just kissed the man back with fervor on the way to Levi's bedroom and wrapped her legs around his waist. When he immediately switched to abusing her neck, she realized that Levi was trying to taste Eren's scent mark. She exposed her neck even further with an aroused sigh, trying to reign in her own scent so that Levi could get lost in Eren's. Krista didn't even try to smell Levi… He wouldn't smell like the person she wanted, but she had a pretty good imagination. It was almost like it was Ymir holding her again, and that made her wet with anticipation. It had been so long since she'd been held like this. Her hips rolled against Levi's eagerly.

Levi turned his back to the bed and walked backwards until the backs of his legs hit the edge of the mattress and he sat down. His hands slipped up the blonde's back to carefully unzip her dress, still mouthing at her exposed throat while his slowly waking cock stirred with interest, lulled into suspended disbelief by the vague taste and scent of the Omega he wanted.

His hands slipped beneath the loosened fabric of her dress as he ran his fingers down the lacy boustier she was wearing beneath, rumpling and bunching the material of her dress at her hips. It was almost easy to pretend it was Eren as he kept his eyes closed and pictured a green sundress and subtle curves.

She got up onto her knees to kick off her dress and remove the little chain belt around her waist, and pushed Levi down on the bed as she hovered over him. When he finally let go of her neck, she pushed up his white paint splattered shirt and began to suck marks into the skin. She frowned; Levi didn't taste anything like Ymir, but she kept going, thinking of Ymir's hands and her tan rough skin instead. The colour was wrong, but Levi was built enough to pretend.

Levi's breath hitched and he let go of her hips to remove his shirt the rest of the way, stomach muscles tensing as he shifted under her, tossing the paint spattered shirt away carelessly and his hands gravitated back to her sides. She was so tiny, too tiny, breakable and he hissed. It was distinctly not right and with Eren's scent waning and fading from his mouth, his body was cooling quickly, too quickly. He needed to get it back.

He screwed his eyes shut tighter and ran his hands up her back instead. That wasn't so different. He managed to fantasize enough to get fully erect, though nothing as desperate as it should be and he had to pull Krista back so that he could bury his face against the other side of her neck where there was more of Eren on her, though there was more vanilla than there really should be. He tried not to think too much about it as his tongue traced her pulse and he shifted his hips to undo his pants and wriggle out of them, kicking off the tight denim and leaving him in a pair of white boxer briefs. He rolled his hips up against the press of her backside and he could feel the warm dampness seeping through her panties and with his eyes closed, he didn't realize his mistake until it was already made. He inhaled deeply, expecting the heady rush that would be his Omega's slick. It was **wrong**.

"Ah," Krista cried when Levi pressed into her. It was something she had never felt before since being with Ymir so long, but it felt good. She ground her hips down into the man so that she could pleasure herself some more and hissed, "Feels good." When Levi stilled underneath her, she realized that letting her voice out when she didn't sound like Eren probably wasn't a good idea. She opened her eyes and peeked down at the man to see if everything was alright.

The last thread of his illusion shattered when Krista's voice sounded and he could feel his body going cold almost instantly, like ice water had been thrown on him. His erection immediately waned and he sat up abruptly, eyes open and narrowed with fear and something else... Shame... The guilt was so potent, it made his stomach turn. What the fuck was he doing? She wasn't what he wanted; he wasn't what she wanted either and it wasn't fair to either of them. And Eren...

Beautiful, feisty, uniquely defective, perfect fucking Eren... Shame flared further and he had to swallow against the lump in his throat that was blocking the passage of oxygen stubbornly and he could feel a burning in his chest and his guts and behind his eyes. And his tongue felt thick and bitter and there was a distinct taste to it, vanilla and coconut like a memory that was fading fast and sharp with another taste; betrayal. No, Krista wasn't Eren, but she could've been. What had he done?

He had no control over his arms as they slipped around her back and he couldn't stand to see the concern in her eyes and the desire that mirrored his own meant for someone else so he buried his face against her collar. He probably held her too tight, but he couldn't help it. His breath hitched like he was choking and he was whispering on the broken exhales. "M'sorry... Sorry... Sorry," and he wasn't even sure who he was apologizing to.

A stab of pain went through Krista's heart when she heard Levi's broken dry sobs. She instantly wrapped her arms around Levi's head and held the man to her chest. "Shh... Shh... It's fine, it's fine... C'mon, everything is going to be alright... Don't force it... We're okay... Shh," she said, slightly rocking them as she tried to calm Levi down.

He didn't respond, but he let her comfort him because what else could he do? He didn't know anything. It hurt... It hurt so fucking bad, he couldn't breathe and he didn't even know why.

It took several minutes for him to calm down enough to manage more words. When they finally came, they were as strained and broken as his apologies, "It hurts... It's never hurt like this before..."

A long ago memory of his mother sobbing in his uncle Kenny's arms in the middle of the night, apologizing and begging surfaced and he shuddered and pressed his face more firmly against the petite woman in his arms. If it hurt like this now... He didn't want to imagine the pain it would've been if he'd waited any longer to leave Eren... Or maybe, if he'd stayed; if he'd stayed, there would have been no hurt at all. And why did he regret that more than anything?

"I know... It's okay... Just give it some time," she whispered, as she started to stroke his hair with one hand and begin to rub his back with the other. "It always gets better... Don't force yourself alright? I got you... I'm not going anywhere... We will be here for each other until the hurt goes away okay?" she said as tears filled her eyes. Krista didn't want Levi to hurt. She didn't want to hurt herself. Love shouldn't hurt at all and yet here they were. Although she suspected that Levi didn't even know why it hurt so bad. He was in love with Eren and he didn't even know it. Krista just sighed. There was no way he'd believe her even if she told him.

He believed her assuring words; he had too. He felt like he was suffocating and he had to believe that he'd be able to breathe again eventually. It helped that she said she would stay. He wouldn't have to be alone with this... Whatever this was... And she wouldn't expect anything and he wouldn't. There would just be comfort and company and like she said, in time, there wouldn't be this misery.

He nodded just the slightest and wet his dry lips, lying back into his mattress, pulling her with him, suddenly exhausted as if every bit of his energy had been siphoned out of him. His bones ached and his blood felt thick and lazy and his heart felt like it was barely beating. Maybe that's why he felt so tired...

Krista repositioned herself so that she was curled beside Levi and not on top of him as she continued to pet his hair and hold his head on her chest. "Mm... Time for sleep now... I'll hold on to you... Just have a rest okay?" she said soothingly as his breathing started to even out. She started to hum nonsense, not even quite sure what the tune was, but Levi relaxed even further in her arms and his chest began to rise and fall softly.

She barely slept all night, holding him as he dreamed and thinking about the situation they were in. She promised Levi's sleeping form that she would be there for him while he figured all this out. Besides, he would be there for her as well. It wasn't love... But it was nice not being alone.

Levi's dreams were filled with bright eyes his favourite shade of green and tanned fingers, the echoing of sweet words and a sweeter scent and he almost wished he wouldn't wake up at all, especially when that voice was begging him to stay, just stay... 

But morning came and with it, the memory of the night before and everything that had transpired then. And the pain came, dull and aching and bitter in his mouth like the apologies he couldn't voice. Krista was there, tucked aside him and all he could say in greeting was, "Thank you." It was sincere and there were volumes in the two simple words and they didn't talk about what had happened.

They dressed in an easy silence, understanding laying between them in the blanket of quiet. She let Phoenix out and fed him while Levi made breakfast. They were sitting down to eat at the kitchen island when his phone buzzed.

***

Eren woke to a blinding headache and a nauseous stomach as he struggled to remove himself from the blankets of his bed. Someone had tucked him in so well that he was trapped beneath his comforter.

He finally escaped his cocoon and sprinted to his washroom to puke his guts out in the toilet.

"Ugh," he groaned into the bowl, looking at the colourful drinks he ingested the night before. "Gross," he said as he got up to rinse out his mouth.

Eren looked at himself in the mirror and man he was a fucking mess. His makeup was everywhere, bleeding down like he had been crying and his clothes were completely ruined; torn in places and covered with paint splatters. He squinted his eyes, trying to remember what had happened after he started downing all the drinks. Obviously someone had brought him home, but no one seemed to be in the house so he guessed he hadn't had sex with anybody. Looking down at his slicked shorts, he sighed. Did he have a drunken wet dream or what?

Peeling off his clothes, he got into the shower and washed the night off of him, feeling distinctly better when he was done. He threw on some sweats and his new favourite pajama shirt (Levi's giant green t-shirt) and started hunting for sheets to change his slick soaked bed when he heard his phone sound in the living room.

Making his way slowly to the room where his phone was in his green clutch from last night, he unlocked it to see a message from Reiner.

**Reiner Braun:**  
_Hey Babe. I had a great time with you last night. I really want to take you out again. Did you get home okay?_

Eren frowned. So Reiner wasn't the one that had taken him home? Who had then?

**Eren:**  
_Hey.. Sorry I got so drunk. If you didn't take me home who did?_

**Reiner Braun:**  
_Levi and his girlfriend did because they were worried about you. You almost passed out at the club._

Eren groaned, rubbing a hand down his face. _Fucking shit._ He had been so drunk, he'd probably made a complete ass of himself in front of Levi and his damn girlfriend. He sighed. There was nothing to be done about it now. Might as well try and laugh it off or he might cry. He pulled up Levi's contact information and texted him the first thing that came to mind before he immediately pressed send.

**Eren Jaeger:**  
_I'm dying..._

Levi frowned down at the message on his phone, forkful of scrambled eggs stilled in the air halfway to his mouth. He couldn't say the message was unexpected, but he was surprised to see it nonetheless.

He set his fork back down and considered his answer for several drawn out seconds. Play it cool... He could do that.

**Levi:**  
_Not surprised. Feeling the tequila you weren't last night, are you?_

Eren bit his lip as he tried not to smile at his phone. God, Levi was an ass.

**Eren:**  
_mayyybeee........... What happened after I blacked out? Reiner told me you guys brought me home..... Sorry about that_

Levi chewed the bite of swiftly cooling breakfast he'd finally managed to get into his mouth slowly as he looked at the next message. Krista watched him from the stool next to his, understanding in her gaze as she watched his expressions change. She knew whom it was that was texting the Alpha and she sighed, shaking her head a little and focusing on her breakfast. She knew he wasn't going to admit anything to Eren; he hadn't even admitted anything to himself yet.

**Levi:**  
_Aside from nearly getting horizontal with your Alpha at the club and scenting my girlfriend pretty vigourously, nothing too embarrassing. Don't sweat it._

Eren slumped back against his couch. _Fuck's sake_ , he thought as his cheeks burned.

**Eren:**  
_D:!!! Noooooooooo that's soooo embarrassing. I actually really liked Krista... I was gonna ask you for her number... But now I can never face her again :( :(_

Levi shook his head, the tiniest smile twitching on his mouth before he covered it by taking a swig of coffee, typing his response with his other hand.

**Levi:**  
_lol, it's fine. She didn't mind. Think she might actually like you more than me. ;)_

"Pfft," Eren scoffed, covering his face as he smiled and quickly texting back.

**Eren:**  
_damn straight. If I had a knot I'd definitely steal her from you. ;)_

Levi winced a bit at Eren's response, sore about his own failure in that particular department, but not wanting to dwell on it. He shovelled more food into his mouth, letting Krista take his plate from him, gaze flickering to her as she rinsed both hers and his and placed them in the dishwasher before she wandered into the bathroom. She figured he could use the space and she needed a shower anyway.

**Levi:**  
_You wish brat. She's probably the type that would rather have a knot of her own to be honest. She's a vicious little thing when she wants to be. You better watch your ass. :D_

A stab of pain went through Eren's chest as Levi praised his girlfriend, but Eren swallowed it down. If there was one thing he remembered from the previous night, it was the overwhelming need to let Levi go. The man was happy with Krista. Eren needed to move on. Part of moving on was trying his best to be actual friends with Levi. He was sure his feelings would cool off if he just acted like they were bros like he did with Jean.

**Eren:**  
_it's fine. I'll leave her to you since I'll probably be going out with Reiner again since he asked me. Don't know why... I was such an ass last night._

Levi shifted uncomfortably, a frown on his mouth as his brows furrowed at the mention of the Omega seeing the pompous blonde Alpha again. He'd hoped... What had he been hoping exactly?

Whatever, it wasn't his choice to make. He'd made his; Eren wasn't his anymore.

**Levi:**  
_You didn't do anything. He probably wants to apologize for taking advantage of your drunk ass. Seriously, make him beg for forgiveness. He deserves to grovel a bit for being a dumb shit._

Eren frowned. So that's what Levi had meant when he said that he'd gotten horizontal with his Alpha. Well... He couldn't exactly blame Reiner. He'd teased the man the whole night and then wasn't able to put out.

**Eren:**  
_We'll see what happens. I'm in a generous mood so I'll give him a second chance. I'm good at making Alphas beg anyway hahahaha ;)_

Levi closed his eyes and drew in a breath to steady himself before he could respond, disappointed that Eren seemed so quick to forgive the other Alpha. Reiner definitely didn't deserve it and then there was the aching implication that Levi knew just how easily Eren could make an Alpha beg and he did know. And it hurt to think about that too, so he clenched his teeth and forced down the taste of bile in the back of his throat and pretended everything was alright. It wasn't... But maybe if he pretended long enough, it would be.

**Levi:**  
_Yeah, it's your ass, I remember... Anyways, I should go, Krista and I are taking Phoenix to the dog park today. See you bright and early Monday morning. Stay out of trouble._

 

Eren sighed, rubbed his face roughly and texted a short 'later.' text. Damn did he miss Phoenix. Maybe the dog liked Krista more anyway? Whatever.

Eren went to the kitchen and started a pot of coffee then put some slip-ons on to go to his mailbox and grab the mail that he had forgotten to retrieve the day before. Inside was a large manila folder. Huh, he wasn't expecting anything major in the mail.

Eren went back inside, stood in his kitchen and opened the folder curiously. As he read through the papers, he jumped up and squealed and danced and screamed. Hopefully his neighbours wouldn't hear. Ripping his phone out of his sweats pocket, he dialed his mom.

"Mom! It's been accepted! The adoption agency accepted my application! All I have to do is pass the interviews and home inspection and I will be approved," he squealed into the phone with excitement. Things were finally looking up for him.


	17. Splintered Wood

Eren sighed as he leaned his head against his desk, looking at his phone as he texted Levi.

 **Eren:** _I'm sooooo hungry..._

 **Levi:** _when's the last time you ate?_

 **Eren:** _dunnnoooo. I'm trying to lose weight..._

Eren had been texting Levi non-stop for over two weeks since the party now, trying to build their friendship. He mostly just whined about work and sent silly pictures of dogs. If the man was bothered, he didn't say anything. Levi always texted back.

A knock came at his office door and he sat up and smiled, scenting his boyfriend as he came into the room.

"Hey," Eren greeted, standing up to hug and nuzzle his Alpha, "Come to see your lovely Omega?" He smiled up at Reiner brightly, content with his musky scent surrounding him. Their relationship was going well and they were taking it slow. Eren felt alright about the whole deal. It wasn't amazing, but it wasn't bad.

 **Levi:**  
_Why the fuck do you need to lose weight? Make your boyfriend take you to lunch or something. Jesus, don't make me call your mom. I'll do it_

Reiner stepped into Eren's office with an air of familiarity, confident and dominating, filling the space like he always did and wrapping Eren in his arms possessively, maybe a little too tight. He reveled in the scent of the Omega as his own covered it and he didn't return the affectionate nuzzling, much more interested in Eren seeking to please him. The Omega was learning to take care of him as he should and the Alpha was sure that as long as everything continued to progress as it was, Eren would be perfect for bonding in just few months. His mother would be thrilled.

He smirked and pressed a kiss to Eren's temple as a reward for his affection. "Mm, came to see if you wanted to come out for a break with me. You can have a snack about now, just nothing too high in carbs or sugar before we go for our workout tonight."

"But I'm starving," Eren whined, pulling Reiner down to kiss him on the lips sweetly, "Don't I deserve a treat?" He looked up at the Alpha with large pleading eyes, hoping the man would give him a break. Eren just felt totally drained since Reiner had convinced him to work out more and try to shed a little extra fat.

Reiner kissed him back, humming approvingly and rubbing large hands along Eren's slimming waist. He growled when Eren pulled away and settled begging eyes on him. He pursed his lips and heaved a suffering sigh through his nose. "Fine, we'll go to that little cafe and you can have a bowl of soup and a croissant, but I don't want to hear any whining later at the gym," he said sternly, tone commanding and leaving little room for argument. He had to be firm with the Omega. Eren was far too used to being frivolous and unruly. Reiner wasn't about to allow his Omega to run wild. He'd look like a fool if Eren acted out in front of the wrong company. He couldn't spoil him, but he supposed it wouldn't hurt to allow him a treat, since he'd been relatively well behaved.

"Okay!" Eren exclaimed, bouncing with excitement. He reached up on his tip toes and kissed the Alpha all over his face in thanks, his scent rising with happiness, then ended it with a slightly deeper kiss on the mouth. When he pulled back, his cheeks were flushed as he stepped away from Reiner's arms to grab his phone and wallet. He was so excited to eat that he didn't even realize which cafe Reiner was talking about and didn't think about the fact that Reiner was controlling his eating habits.

The blonde Alpha hummed and watched the Omega move around intently, pleased at the scent of him and the easy acceptance of his demand. Perfect; Eren was going to make such a perfect mate.

He straightened his posture and adjusted the cuffs on his shirt before he followed his Omega to the door, sliding a guiding arm around his waist and leading the way out of the office and down the stairs rather than the elevator since Eren would be having a rich lunch, they might as well get a little extra exercise in beforehand.

He led him all the way out of the building and down the block to the cafe that his associates had been raving about. Might as well give it a try, apparently they had good coffee and food.

Eren immediately hesitated when he realized which cafe Reiner was taking him to. "Oh... I didn't know we were going here," Eren said, rubbing the back of his neck. He could see Kuchel behind counter; she had already seen him and was smiling and waving at Eren where he stood outside the door. Too late turn back now.

Eren sighed and walked inside as Reiner followed. There was quite a line so he could at least figure out what he wanted to say before he greeted his ex's mom. He wondered if Levi even told her about their break up.

Reiner came up behind Eren and put his arms around the Omega as they waited. Eren leaned into him gratefully, happy to have the Alpha to soothe his anxiety.

Kuchel knew as soon as Eren came inside with the mountain of blonde Alpha behind him that the brunette was no longer seeing her son and she was disappointed, not in the fact that Eren was moving on, but in the fact that Levi had given him up in the first place when it had been so clear to her that he thought the brunette was something special. She could see the potential there and he probably had too and ran as soon as he realized it. Stupid boy...

And seeing the burly Alpha holding onto Eren as though he needed to keep ahold of him to be sure he didn't stray made her angry. She knew his type well. She sighed inwardly. Levi always ran thinking he would be like his father before him, but this was the one time he really shouldn't have because he'd obviously driven the Omega right into the arms of someone who was all kinds of wrong for him. Eren looked thinner and less vibrant than the last time she'd seen him and she could tell a lot of things from that. She was going to have words with her son... Soon. She'd thought he was avoiding her and now she knew why.

She smiled brightly, kindness and a hint of concern in her eyes as Eren and his new Alpha approached the counter. "Welcome, it's so nice to see you again Eren, and this must be your Alpha," she greeted in a pleasant tone, though there was a sharpness to her gaze when it shifted over Reiner. "What can I get for the both of you, same as last time for you Eren or something new?"

"Hi!" Eren greeted with a nervous smile, "Sorry I haven't been back... It's just been so busy at work. This is my new boyfriend Reiner. Reiner, this is Levi's mother, Kuchel." He introduced the two awkwardly then looked up at the menu. He wasn't exactly sure what he _could_ have. "And I'll be having something new," he said to Kuchel then turned to Reiner, obviously asking him silently what he could eat.

Reiner grinned at the petite woman and offered her his hand which she took politely. "Ah, yeah, I can definitely see the resemblance. Your son's a good guy," he said charmingly before he gave the menu a cursory glance. "Eren will have a small chicken and wild rice soup with a gluten free croissant and a green tea, nothing in it. I'll have a large house brew with a splash of cream and a large chili bread bowl, hold the cheese," he ordered for the both of them, casting another smile at Levi's mother. She returned it tightly, her eyes shifting between the pair knowingly. She didn't like that at all. What had happened to the confident Omega she'd met all those weeks ago? How could Levi have let this happen? She didn't know what had happened between Eren and her son, but she knew for a fact Levi was at fault and that meant he should take responsibility for the change in Eren now. If he'd just kept ahold of him, she had no doubt Eren would be as he had been when they first met.

"That'll be ten fifty please," she said, ringing them in, "To go?"

Reiner looked around at the available seats which were few, before he glanced at the Omega in his arms, "You want to stay?" he asked. it would be better if they ate first before making their way back to the office, that way he could be sure Eren didn't indulge more than he should and the Omega would have a chance to move around rather than sitting at a desk after eating. He didn't want him being lazy from the carbs he was allowing.

"Mm yeah... It'll be nice to spend some time together before we have to go back to work," Eren said, smiling at Reiner with a small blush. The man had been pretty considerate of him, even helping him to get healthier. It sucked that he couldn't eat what he liked, but he didn't want to disappoint his new Alpha. Eren was really trying to develop their relationship, so he tuned down his normally demanding demeanour to be more like a traditional Omega. More like Krista. It was hard... But he seemed to be doing okay.

Eren smiled at Kuchel then took Reiner by the hand to sit at an empty table. He scooted his chair as close as possible to Reiner's, wanting to cuddle and receive affection. Reiner was fine with Eren cuddling him, but he didn't often return the favour which was a little disappointing.

"Mhmm," the Alpha hummed in agreement, letting Eren lean against him and wrapping one arm around him, giving him a little squeeze, a reward for being so obedient in what his Alpha had decided for him to eat. He pulled his phone out of his pocket with his other hand when it chimed and vibrated and he immediately began a string of texting, hardly paying any mind to Eren, though he kept his arm around him comfortably. He only tucked the phone away once their meal arrived and he eyed Eren's with intense scrutiny, removing the complimentary packages of crackers that came with the soup before he made an approving sound. "Eat up babe," he prompted as he removed his arm from around the brunette to eat his own meal.

Eren immediately began to sulk when Reiner didn't pay him any attention. He should have just gone back to work if he was going to be completely ignored. He slid his chair away from the Alpha with a huff, not wanting to have contact with a man that played on his phone instead of talking to him.

Eren picked up his spoon to slowly eat his small cup of soup, trying to make it last as he dipped the croissant in the broth. Soon enough he had eaten it all and was staring longingly as Reiner continued to eat his much bigger portion. "Is it good?" Eren asked as he watched a spoonful of chili reach Reiner's lips. His mouth watered so much he had to swallow.

Reiner glanced at his Omega and cocked a half smirk. "Yeah, it's excellent. Want a bite; it's worth five crunches," the large blonde offered, lifting a small spoonful towards Eren, turning his body and using his other hand to tug Eren's chair back closer to himself, apparently prepared to give him his attention again for the time being.

Kuchel huffed under her breath and wiped down tables swiftly, watching the couple out of her peripheral vision. What on earth did Eren see in the arrogant and obviously self-centered Alpha? Had he simply chose him as the most opposite of her own son in order to console himself or something? Poor thing...

Eren sniffed, still angry that Reiner had ignored him, no matter how delicious the chili smelled. "Don't want any," he said, turning his head away and snubbed the man as he pulled his chair away once again. He even pulled out his own phone to see a new text from Levi. He wanted to see how much the Alpha liked to be ignored.

 **Eren:** _Reiner said I need to lose at least 15 pounds to be at a healthy weight.... it's fuckin hard though... I just wanna eat food.....  
he took me to lunch though. Your fams actually. Ur mom is sooo pretttyy <33 and she makes the best food. Sooo I ate!_

Reiner only chuckled at the Omega's petulance and returned to eating, scrolling through work files while he steadily devoured his lunch, alternating swigging his coffee and periodically looking at Eren just to keep an eye on him. "Who're you messaging?" he asked, a thread of suspicion in his tone as he focused his attention on Eren fully for a few moments.

Levi's brow furrowed and his lips twisted into a frown as he read the text Eren had finally sent back to him, tucking the rag he'd used to wipe his hands clean on into the back pocket of his jeans.

 **Levi:**  
_Healthy according to whom? You're already thin. If you get any skinnier, you're gonna disappear when you turn sideways. You should eat if you're hungry Eren._

_I'm sure if you asked my ma, she'd agree with me and throw scones at you. I'm glad you at least had something and if it's her food, it's at least healthy and hearty. She didn't say anything weird to you did she?_

"People," Eren said in a clipped tone, not looking up from his phone as he messaged Levi. Served Reiner right for being an ass.

 **Eren:**  
_the food was sooooo good even though I only had some soup and a croissant... your moms chili smells amazing though that's what Reiner's having... looks delicious.  
And nopppeee. She just said hey. Nothing weird!_

"What people?" the blonde Alpha questioned, eyes narrowing at the tone of Eren's vague answer. That defiance was going to have to go. He couldn't have Eren acting in such a manner when he had to attend important business soirees. The Omega needed to learn when it was appropriate to beg attention and when it was not.

 **Levi:**  
_Right... Why didn't you have the chili then?_  
Nvm, I can guess why.  
I'm glad she didn't embarrass you, lol. You know how she is.

Eren scowled, turning his head to look at Reiner with defiant, blazing green eyes. "Just people," he said as if it was the end of the discussion, "I wouldn't need to be entertained by others if my Alpha paid attention to me. But it's fine. I'm self sufficient. It's pretty easy to find people who _do_ want to talk to me." There was a double meaning in his words; Reiner was replaceable. It's not like they had been dating very long and Eren felt he was going above and beyond for this relationship. Reiner could give him some affection or at least pay attention to him. It wasn't a lot to ask.

Reiner's expression changed, softened to something apologetic and affronted though there was a lurking irritation in his eyes. "Baby, I don't _want_ to ignore you. I'm just so swamped with work right now. I don't want to have to work overtime so that I can spend my evenings with you instead. And you know how important my work is. I work so hard so that I'll be an Alpha you'll be proud to be with," he said sweetly, placating and manipulative as if everything he did, he did for Eren's benefit, which he did. He didn't want his Omega to embarrass either of them in the future. Eren's attitude was cute sometimes, but it should be saved for when they were in private. He reached out one large hand to brush his knuckles along the Omega's jaw. "You know I just want to be worthy of you. And of course I want to talk to you. Why don't we go right home after the gym today and we can have dinner and watch a movie and talk all you like?"

Eren hesitated for a moment under Reiner's hand. What the Alpha said did make sense; Eren knew what it was like to be swamped with work and need to focus at all times. His anger deflated as his eyes softened and he nuzzled into Reiner's palm. "Okay... Yeah that would be nice..." he said with a smile. He kissed the man's palm as his smile turned crooked and he purred, "I don't know how much _talking_ I'll want to do tonight though..."

The broad Alpha smiled widely and turned to pull Eren's chair back towards himself again, leaning in over him, framing the Omega's waist with his thick, uncalloused hands. "Is that so, then what would you want to be doing if not talking baby?" he murmured lowly, dark cherry cocoa scent curling up around them with clear interest and possession, "You know I'd do **anything** for you," and he would, so long as it suited him.

Eren giggled and blushed as he was pulled closer to his Alpha once again. "Mm lots of things..." he cooed, putting his hands on Reiner's broad shoulders and giving them a squeeze in appreciation. He leaned forward to hold Reiner's eyes with his own as he purred, "I guess you'll have to find out tonight..."

Reiner's hands squeezed at Eren's hips in return and his smirk widened, "I like the sound of that. You gonna take good care of me Omega?" he asked, pulling Eren closer by the grip on his hips and nosing along his jaw lightly.

"We'll take care of each other," Eren corrected as he tilted his head to give the Alpha more access. As he looked around the cafe, several people were staring and he was instantly embarrassed, his cheeks turning bright red. Reiner always seemed to get overly handsy in public and pushed Eren's boundaries a little too far. Gently pulling away from Reiner, he said, "I gotta head back to work... Are you finished?"

The Alpha chuckled, nibbling under Eren's ear a moment before he reluctantly let him go and stood up himself, brushing his clothing off and straightening out any wrinkles in his suit. "Oh yeah, I'm done," he said, not bothering to clear his dishes himself or depositing his trash; someone got paid to do that. He immediately stepped over to Eren, crowding into his space behind him, a hand resting at his lower back to guide him along out of the café, nodding at Levi's mother along the way, his phone already back in his other hand.

***

It was a few hours later when Levi was already finished at Eren's home for the day and received a call from Krista who was running late and asked him to pick up a couple of things for her when he was on his way back to his place. He was looking over the body washes, uncertain which would be best for the petite blonde and she hadn't given him any specifics. He'd already picked up the other items she'd asked for, but he was having a hard time deciding on a body wash that wouldn't be too strong for her and he was getting antsy and impatient waiting for her to respond to his text asking. He just wanted to go home and relax and not think about anything for a couple of hours. He sighed and unlocked his phone. Eren had always had a body wash that complimented his scent well and wasn't too harsh and he and Krista shared a similar scent, couldn't hurt to ask.

 **Levi:**  
_hey, what kind of body wash do you use?_

 **Eren:**  
_vanilla sugar body wash from lush. But usually anything with vanilla bean and brown sugar and I'm good to gooooooooo. Changing up your body wash??_

 **Levi:**  
_Nah, it's for Krista. she's supposed to stay over this weekend and she apparently forgot to pick this shit up and she's running late. I dunno. Just figured since you two have similar scents, you'd know best. She's not answering my texts. Thanks though._

Levi grabbed a bottle of the suggested body wash. Though not from lush, it would have to suffice. He made his way to the register, paid and was finally on his way home. As he pulled into his driveway, he was met with the sight of his mother leaning against the back of her little purple Volkswagen Beetle with her arms crossed and eyes narrowed. Shit... He should have known.

 **Eren:**  
_welcomeeeeeeee. Have a good weekend <3 looks like we will both be getting some ;)_

Kuchel waited for Levi to park his truck and get out then said, "It's not good to avoid your mother... You've barely talked to me in weeks!" She continued to frown at her son as he opened the door to his house and let them both inside.

Levi heaved a sigh as his mother followed him inside his house and he set the bag he was carrying on the kitchen island before he turned to face the petite woman that was responsible for a majority of his own looks. "I know ma, I've just been busy. I wasn't avoiding you," he said before he was stepping over to give her a peck on the cheek. He peeled off his work boots and socks, tossing the boots next to the door and the socks down the set of stairs that led to his laundry room. He was still in his work clothes, but he wasn't all that dirty and he hadn't sweat much doing the preliminary work for Eren's downstairs bathroom, so he could wait to shower for now. Might as well get this visit over with. He knew that look well; she wasn't happy with him and it wasn't just because he hadn't visited.

"Sure," she said, a knowing and unhappy look on her face. She walked towards the island and leaned against it, gearing up for an unpleasant life conversation with her son. "I saw Eren today," Kuchel said with nonchalance, raising her hand to inspect her fingernails, "With his new Alpha... You didn't tell me you guys broke up. When did that happen?" She raised her gaze back to Levi and lifted her eyebrows, waiting for an excuse.

Levi wet his lips and ran a hand through his hair, swallowing against an unpleasant lump in his throat. There it was; she never did beat around the bush. He should've known when Eren had texted him earlier that this would happen. "A couple weeks ago. I'm sorry I didn't tell you. Like I said, I've been busy. It's not like we were serious anyway. What's the big deal?"

"You didn't tell me because you didn't _want_ to tell me and have to listen to me say things you don't want to hear. Why are you even trying to lie to me?" she snapped, glaring daggers at her son as she crossed her arms. "Have you seen Eren? He's half the size he was when I met him and ate like a bird at lunch. His Alpha is _controlling_ what he's eating... He's being abused and you ran him straight into that asshole's arms, didn't you?"

Levi's brow furrowed and anger sparked in his eyes to cover the guilt that had been lurking there for weeks already. He huffed out a heated breath, "What the hell was I supposed to do? I let him down and he wanted to end it. He's a grown up. I don't have any control over the assholes he chooses to date now."

"You purposely let him down, knowing he would end it and probably didn't even try to make it up to him because you got the out that you were so desperate for," Kuchel countered, not even needing to know the details of the break up as she threw up her hands in frustration. Levi had always been good at self sabotage. "You need to take some god damn responsibility for your actions," she said as she took a deliberate sniff of Levi's house, "Thought so. You're already dating another Omega. How long after Eren found out you had a new toy was it that he started dating that prick, hmm?"

Levi's face darkened and he growled, but he couldn't exactly argue with her; he'd only be lying and she'd only see through him. "So what? It doesn't matter. It's too fucking late now. And even if I wanted to, I have no way to make up for it ma. I can't give him what he deserves," he gritted out through clenched teeth, crossing his arms tightly over his chest, trying to hang on to his anger.

"So you think he's getting what he deserves now?" Kuchel asked, her voice dangerously low. "I know exactly what that Alpha's gonna do to him you know... I went through it with Nicholai. He's gonna make Eren feel good about himself, but slowly tear him down at the same time until there's nothing left... He's gonna trap him with a bond as soon as Eren gives into one... And that bond will end up broken." Just the thought of her own bond break was enough to make the woman shudder and pause to catch her breath. "Or by the look of it, he will die of starvation. Take your pick, son."

"You think I don't know that?! Fuck!" His voice rose and he shoved both hands into his hair, tangling his fingers in the strands and tugging roughly, "I don't know how to fix it ma! I've never wanted to before! And he's... He doesn't want me anymore. I'm not any good for him either." His voice lost volume and his body slowly bled tenseness, the guilt and shame and hurt he'd been trying desperately to lock away came crashing to the surface and his shoulders slumped forward in defeat.

Kuchel's hard gaze softened as she took a step forward to hold Levi's face in her hands. "You **are** good for him. I know it," she said, warmth bleeding through her small hands into his cheeks, "And even if I'm wrong and you're not... At least you're better than who he's with right now." She ran her fingers through Levi's hair like she had when he was a child, a soft smile gracing her face as her anger seeped out.

"Now... To fix it... You're gonna play the long game," Kuchel commanded, beginning to scheme. She took a step back and crossed her arms as she thought to herself on what Levi should do. "Abusers like to isolate their victims so that the only source of love and affection they receive is from a controlled source. Reiner will try and convince Eren that he's the only person in the world that will love and protect him. The trick is to not let that happen! You gotta support Eren, keep telling him how amazing he is and hopefully he will take off his rose coloured glasses and see the asshole for what he is," she said as she punched a fist into her palm.

She looked back at Levi and saw the fear and the apprehension on his face. "You're gonna have to suck this up princess and be an Alpha. There's a chance that you might be right and it is too late for you to get back together with Eren... But that doesn't mean you can't help him get rid of this asshole... I know you're afraid Levi... But you gotta do this, if not for yourself, then for Eren. Ackermans fix their fucking mistakes. You are my son and you **will** fix this."

Levi blew a breath up into his hair and leaned his elbows back against the counter. "I'm trying... I don't want him to be hurt. This shit's hard. I don't even know why I..." He trailed off, rubbing his temple with two fingers. "Krista says it gets easier, but it doesn't fucking feel like it's getting easier. It's getting harder. He texts me all the time like everything's fine when it's not. I don't even know what I'm supposed to say. Everything is so fucked up. It feels like my guts are trying to strangle themselves. I don't know if I can do this..."

"Mm... That's a good sign actually. If he was done with you, he would have just cut all contact... He's actively trying to have a relationship with you still so you have a chance," Kuchel said, starting to have a little more hope for her son to fix this. She opened her arms and reached out for Levi, enveloping him in a tight hug. "Lots of things in life hurt... Just be his friend, support him and at the very least get him away from Reiner... And get him to eat more if you can," she said, rubbing his back soothingly, "I didn't even know people could lose weight that fast... Have you seen him recently? He looks... Sick..."

Levi closed his eyes and buried his face in his mother's neck, breathing in her familiar scent and absorbing the comfort she was providing. Even at thirty two years old, sometimes he still needed a hug from the woman that had raised him. He wrapped his arms around her back to return the embrace. "I know... I'll try to do something. I don't know what, but I'll try," he said, voice muffled against her. He pulled away after a minute and drew in a breath, exhaling it slowly. "I think he's changing me... And it scares the shit out of me. What if I'm not good enough ma? I don't want to do to him what dad did to you. But it's in me, I know it is, just like him..."

“The ability to be a shitty person is in everyone… It's not hereditary Levi… You are **nothing** like your father,” she assured, patting him on the cheek. “If you spend your life living in fear then you'll never really live… If you don't at least try, you're gonna regret it, hun, and he really needs you right now… Even if he'd never actually tell you so.”

The Alpha sighed heavily and tried to bury the apprehension that was simmering in his gut. She was right; he knew that on some level, but it didn't make a whole lot of difference in the fear that he'd had nearly his entire life from the memories of his father and the broken state he had left his beautiful mother in. Levi had felt it so many times over the course of his life, the first time he'd been angry enough to hit another human being, to wish to make them bleed and see them hurt and make it reality, the first time he'd been betrayed and so angry that he drank himself into a stupor, the first time he'd broken someone's heart and now this... It was tangible and powerful and consuming. And absolutely terrifying. But for the first time in his life, he _wanted_ to believe her because if what she’d said was true, maybe he could have what he craved, maybe, just maybe he could conquer it and be whole.

"Thanks ma. Can you do me a favour?" he said after a few silent seconds of consideration

“You're welcome sweetheart... And of course I can!" she said, smiling. She could feel the change in her son, his willingness to try and actually face his fear. She was so proud.

"Eren loves the pastries and stuff from the café, can you make some up for me for Monday and I'll pick them up in the morning before I head over to his place. Maybe he'll eat better if I leave him things he can't resist," he said, a tiny smile quirking the corner of his lips. It wasn't anything much, but it was a start. He had to try. He didn't want to see Eren broken...

"Oh! That's a really good idea! I'll whip up something special," she said grinning from ear to ear.

The front door sounded and Krista walked in, holding an overnight bag and toeing off her shoes as she walked into the house. She immediately froze when she saw a female version of Levi standing right next to him in Levi's kitchen.

Kuchel looked the girl up and down then turned to Levi. "She's very pretty... But she's no Eren. I can see why you chose her though," she said, sniffing the air, "She kinda smells like him, right?" With that, she went to the front door to put on her shoes, giving Krista a smile. "I'll have your box ready, don't forget our talk Levi," she said sternly, but smiling while she exited the house, leaving like a whirlwind.

"I'll remember," Levi murmured even though she'd already gone. He looked at Krista and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly.

"Sorry about that Honeybee. She's not usually like that... I got the stuff you wanted. It's in the bag on the table," he explained, patting at his pocket before he pulled his phone from within. He unlocked it to find the last message from Eren and his brow furrowed, a dark frown forming on his lips as he looked it over. He had to say something, but how could he convince Eren not to do what he was planning? Maybe if he just... He thumbed a message to the Omega, erasing it and rewriting it several times.

**Levi:**  
_Speak for yourself brat. Krista isn't ready to get that intimate yet._

_I thought you said you were taking things slow with big blonde and brawny._

Eren was curled on the side of his couch while Reiner slept beside him when his phone buzzed on the side table. He was already irritated since he was sore and tired from working out at the gym then Reiner had chosen a stupid action flick for them to watch and promptly fell asleep and took up the entire couch. Eren had thought they'd be spending time together... Picking up his phone, it was Levi who'd finally texted him back.

 **Eren:**  
_we were... but he ignores me a lot... I'm trying to get his attention and doing sexual shit is the only way I know how. But he's kinda dead to the world right now. I don't think he'd wake up even if I put my mouth on his dick._

Levi bit his lip and fidgeted, jumping and almost dropping the device when his phone buzzed in his hand. Krista glanced at him and snickered quietly to herself while she pawed through Levi's refrigerator for the ingredients for dinner.

The Alpha didn't even acknowledge her as he furiously typed out another message and she didn't have to guess who he was talking to.

 **Levi:**  
_that's fucked up Eren. You shouldn't do something like that. You are worth more than that. If he doesn't see it without you sitting on his dick, he's not worth your time.  
Did you eat dinner? My mom was worried you were sick or something..._

Eren bit his lip as he read Levi's reply. This was not something he was really comfortable talking about with his ex. He just really needed some affection... But Levi was right. He should stick to his original plan. He decided just to not reply to that part of the text and focus on the second.

 **Eren:** _yuppppppp! I almost passed out at the gym today so one of the trainers gave me a banana to get my sugars up then I made a salad when I got home. I don't normally like salad but I think I was so hungry I just devoured it! :D I'm proud of myself though! Five pounds down!_

Levi hissed a breath between his teeth and tapped his fingers restlessly against the counter as he tried to figure out what to write in response. This was hard... He had to remember what his mother had said.

 **Levi:**  
_I don't think you should lose too much more Eren. it's not healthy. My mom thought you were SICK!_

_Maybe you should go see a doctor or a dietician or something. I mean I know Reiner is your Alpha and you trust him, but he's not exactly qualified to be supervising your diet._

 

Eren frowned and threw Reiner's arm off and went to his master bath where he had a floor length mirror on the back of the door. He was wearing his short spandex shorts and a band shirt and took pictures of himself from all angles sending them to Levi.

 **Eren:**  
_what do you think? I'm smaller in general... I look more Omega like with the tiny waist. And I have an 8 pack now that shows. Reiner says I look less fat._

 

Levi actually growled and his eyes narrowed, an overwhelming sense of protectiveness rose in him and anger boiled low in his belly as he looked at the pictures and the words Eren had written. He shouldn't have waited so long to say something.

 **Levi:**  
_You are not and never were fat Eren! Spandex is not supposed to be LOOSE... You look fragile._

_I'm not trying to be a dick, but I'm a little concerned. I'm pretty sure even your other shitty best friend would agree with me._

Eren sat on the toilet, frustrated and upset. He'd thought he was doing something good. He didn't know what to do.

 **Eren:**  
_Reiner likes small and I can't really do anything about my height.. I think he wants me to look delicate like Krista but I don't really have the build for it. I'll talk to him about slowing down on the weight loss cause it's effecting my work performance. I'm having trouble focusing....... am I not attractive anymore? :( I'm getting such conflicting messages here_

Levi left the kitchen and the prying, knowing gaze of his girlfriend and went up to his loft, stripping off his work clothes as he attempted to work out an appropriate response. He didn't want to sound flirtatious, but his mother had said he needed to be honest and supportive and make Eren feel confident so that Reiner wouldn't be able to isolate and cow him further. He sat on his bed in his underwear as he typed another message.

 **Levi:**  
_Sweetness, you are beautiful. You always were. You don't need to do anything. You should never have to change yourself for someone to appreciate you, your Alpha especially. I know I'm not the best person to be making judgements, but you need to take care of you. You don't light up like you used to and that is just so wrong.  
Are you happy like this?_

He sent it before he could second guess himself and hoped that he hadn't said too much or too little.

Eren smiled so wide at Levi's text, it hurt. He tried to cover his mouth with his hand as he rocked on his seat, trying not to squeal. Praise! Levi still thought he was beautiful! He cared enough to be worried about the Omega even if it was only as friends. It made Eren very happy.

 **Eren:**  
_thank you... that made me really happy... I've been pretty down lately and I don't know why... I'll think about it! I've just been trying so hard to make this work..._

 

Levi smiled in relief and laid back on his bed, feet planted on the floor while he wrote another message.

 **Levi:**  
_Not a problem. Anytime you need to smile, let me know; I'll make it happen._

_I can tell you're trying, but it seems to me that you are the one making all the concessions. It was my understanding that relationships are supposed to be equal. Maybe you just need to be a bit more I dunno... Demanding, I guess._

_I know it probably doesn't mean much coming from me, but I don't want to see you hurting._

 

Eren looked up when he heard Reiner calling for him.

"I'm in the bathroom," Eren called, holding his phone in one hand as he stood up to go see what his boyfriend wanted.

"Where were you?" Reiner asked groggily, sitting up on the couch, rubbing the sleep from his eyes.

"I had to go to the bathroom... If you're so tired we should go to bed," Eren said, grabbing Reiner's hand and tugging on it to go to the bedroom.

"I thought we were gonna... Talk and stuff," Reiner pouted, but stood up and followed Eren to the bedroom, his implications pretty clear.

"Can't do that when you’re half awake," Eren said, pushing Reiner towards one side of the bed and getting in on the other. "It's still pretty early to go to sleep. Maybe we will wake up later," he said as he pulled the blankets around them.

"Yeah sure whatever," the Alpha said, throwing his arm over Eren and pulling him close in a too tight embrace.

Eren just sighed as the man's breathing immediately evened out. He pulled up his hand to message Levi back before he reached to put the phone on his nightstand.

 **Eren:**  
_mmm you're a good person. I'm happy we were still able to be friends. Gonna lay down for a nap. Later <3_

 

Warmth bloomed in Levi's chest at the Omega's statement alongside that seemingly ever present ache. Friends... Yeah, that's all they were... And that was okay. It was good...

 **Levi:**  
_Yeah, you should get some rest. You could probably use it. I'll talk to you later_

 

The Alpha dropped his arms to his sides, feeling oddly lighter and heavier at the same time. Maybe his mom was onto something... He laid there for several long moments before he pushed himself up and slipped into a pair of sweats before he met his girlfriend down in the kitchen just as she was serving up the chicken stir fry over rice she'd prepared for the two of them. He gave her a light kiss on the cheek in appreciation for the meal and apologized for having not greeted her properly before.

He filled her in on the odd events of his day and what his mother had said, though he didn't wade too deeply into the details. Krista seemed to understand anyways, even if he didn't say it out loud. She actually suggested Levi invite the other couple to join them for the picnic they had planned for Sunday. Levi hadn't really thought about suggesting something like that since he really **really** didn't want to spend any particular amount of time with Eren's current Alpha, but it would be good for Eren and he knew the other Omega would be ecstatic to see Phoenix. And Krista was more than happy to play her part in the affair, warmed by the kindness and concern of the Alpha that was temporarily hers, but not and curious about the Omega he so obviously was in love with. It made her ache inside for her own wayward Alpha, but she had hope that if Levi could work it out with his Omega, than maybe her own Alpha would come back to her someday. She could dream after all.

When they were tucked into bed, a few hours earlier than Levi normally liked, both dressed down, Krista in a cute pair of lavender babydoll pajamas and Levi in his underwear, he finally worked up the nerve to send another message to Eren and hoped for the best. Krista was curled against him comfortably, sleeping soundly against his chest, comforted and comforting in the innocence of their simple cuddling. It helped ease the Alpha's apprehension and he couldn't even begin to thank her for all that she had provided and was still providing him.

 **Levi:**  
_Hey, if you aren't busy Sunday, Krista wants to have a picnic in the park and thought you might like to join us. I guess you can bring your blonde gorilla too ;) Nix would love to see you._

 

Eren woke up to the sound of his phone vibrating on the nightstand. Somehow during their nap, Reiner had managed to take up the entirety of Eren’s king sized bed, pushing Eren to curl up in a ball in one small corner. Stretching out around Reiner's heavy limbs, he grabbed his phone and squinted as the light pierced his eyes then smiled as he read the text.

 **Eren:**  
_THATD BE AWESOMMMMEEEEEE!!!!!! I'll ask Reiner but even if he doesn't wanna come I still will._  
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Levi squinted in the dark, eyes watering a little as his phone lit up brightly when he unlocked it to read the message he knew would be from Eren. Krista stirred and hid her face in his neck, unconsciously avoiding the suddenly bright light. He chuckled, letting her have her way while he watched the videos Eren had sent before he responded to the message.

 **Levi:**  
_Cute brat.  
If he pussies out, let me know, we'll pick you up. Is 1 good?_

 

 **Eren:**  
_yasssss I'll let you knowwwwwwww_  
**img.**  
Do you see this?? How the fuck can someone take up the ENTIRE bed?? Da fuckkkkk. Should go sleep on the couch.....

 

Levi frowned and shook his head at the picture Eren had sent.

 **Levi:**  
_Well, when you are in bed with someone the size of a small elephant, these things happen.  
It's a nice night, go sleep in your daybed and look at the stars._

 

Eren smiled and looked over at Reiner's drooling face. He reached over and ran his fingers through the man's hair and kissed his temple. Reiner growled grumpily, but otherwise didn't move.

 **Eren:**  
_mmmm nah. Only kidding. He's been staying over every night cause I get lonely when I sleep alone... he's like a giant heater so that's nice_

 

Levi's grip on his phone tightened and he heaved a sigh. Of course Eren would be lonely, just like Levi was lonely sleeping alone. It was the reason he and Krista slept together, even though they didn't fuck. He hoped that Eren would take his advice from previous and Levi would be able to get him away from Reiner before the Omega decided to do more than use the blonde Alpha as a stuffed animal.

 **Levi:**  
_I know what you mean. Bed's are always too big for just one person. Anyways, you should sleep and so should I._  
We'll see you Sunday. I'll be looking forward to it.  
Sweet dreams Eren

 

 **Eren:**  
_night <3_

Eren sent the text then awkwardly curled against Reiner's side to settle down and go to sleep once again. He wasn't comfortable, but at least he was warm and not alone, so that was something... Before he drifted off to sleep, he unconsciously remembered how good it felt to be tucked in by Levi's side instead... Oh well.

Levi set his phone aside and closed his eyes. Even though he'd said he should sleep, he laid awake for hours more before exhaustion finally drug him under. He kept running everything around in circles in his head, so many uncertainties, warring wants and instincts, muddled feelings and thoughts that scattered anytime he tried to hang on to just one for more than a second. There was just too much to go through, to process and he was worn too thin to sort it all out. Eventually... Eventually, he'd get it. One step at a time. The first step was an easy one. Get Eren's smile back; that he could do.


	18. Tempered Glass

Sunday came sooner than Levi'd expected and he was left wondering where the hell Saturday had got off to as he pulled on a pair of black cargo shorts with zippered pockets and a white sleeveless tee with a green and grey plaid short-sleeved button up over it, left unbuttoned for a casual day at the park look with maybe just a hint of mischief. He wore his beat up converse again and a pair of Aviators. Krista wore a pair of high-waisted, purposely faded blue shorts with white daisies sloppily patterned over them and a button fly and a white peasant top with slitted sleeves that broadcasted bits of milky and lightly freckled skin on her arms and shoulders. It was tucked into her shorts messily, her hair tucked up into an equally messy bun and she pulled on a pair of strappy white sandals with little blue flowers situated where the straps fastened the footwear to her feet to finish off the look.

The pair looked almost lazily comfortable together, completely casual, but cute. She packed the picnic basket with snacks, stacked cold-cut and cheese sandwiches on dark rye, sliced pineapple and strawberries as well as yogurt covered pretzels and trail mix. All of it was made with Eren in mind. She'd understood Levi's concerns and made certain to prepare healthy and low fat foods for their day so that he would have no reason to refuse them and his Alpha couldn't complain. She was concerned too. Eren was already thin, but healthy from what she could recall of the other Omega upon their first meeting and she could only imagine how he must look after what Levi had told her. Levi got Phoenix leashed and into the truck while she finished up with the iced green tea in the cold thermos and tucked it into the basket with the food along with the Frisbee, dishes, kibble and water they were bringing for Nix. Then they were off to the large local conservation park where they were meeting Eren and Reiner.

Eren looked picture perfect, sitting on the hood of Reiner's blue corvette convertible leaning back on his hands. He wore a high-waisted navy blue skirt that billowed out at his hips, a white and blue striped crop top with cap sleeves, navy blue flats and a large navy blue bow in his hair.

His head was pointed towards the sun as he sunbathed his already tan skin, enjoying the beautiful day as his boyfriend paced in front of him, yelling at someone on the phone. Reiner wore a baby blue polo shirt with white shorts and flip flops as he stomped back and forth, completely ignoring Eren.

The Omega opened his eyes, smiled, and waved when Krista and Levi pulled up beside them in the parking lot.

The couple waved and smiled at the Omega in return as Levi cut the engine. Krista hopped out right away and skipped over to Eren. "You look adorable! Where did you get that top?" she said with a bright and genuine smile, her blue eyes sparkling in the sun reflecting off Reiner's car.

Eren got off the car to give Krista a hug in greeting. "Mm, this one I got from this little boutique in the north end of downtown. We should go shopping together sometime. It's a little expensive, but everything is quality made," Eren explained, giving a little twirl to show off his outfit.

Phoenix went absolutely ballistic in the back seat of the truck as soon as he saw Eren and Levi shook his head, opening the door on his side of the truck to unbuckle the beast with some difficulty since Nix refused to be still for more than a second. The Alpha hopped back as soon as the buckle gave so that he wouldn't be knocked over and the large dog bolted out of the backseat like lighting, tail wagging at a freakish velocity as he galloped around to greet the brunette Omega. "Incoming!" Levi shouted in warning, slamming the door closed and going around to the back hatch to retrieve the checkered picnic blanket and basket before he made his way over to the Omegas, inclining his head at the blonde Alpha on the phone when Reiner gave him a brief nod in greeting.

Nix came barrelling towards Eren, and the Omega squealed in excitement, immediately getting down on his knees to hug and kiss the dog. "I missed you sooo much you big fluff ball," Eren cooed as he pet the dog all over.

"Eren," Reiner barked, covering his phone with one hand as he glared at his Omega from a couple steps away, "You'll get your clothing dirty!"

Eren rolled his eyes and looked back at Reiner with his eyebrows raised, "So?"

Reiner grumbled to himself for a moment before he said, "Keep the mutt away from me," then stormed off a couple meters to finish his phone call.

Continuing to pet Nix affectionately, Eren gave Krista a sheepish smile. "He doesn't like dogs very much... I love dogs though," he said to Krista, a little embarrassed over his boyfriend's behaviour.

Levi's eyes narrowed and he growled through clenched teeth at both the tone the other Alpha used when addressing Eren and at his insulting order directed at Levi's dog. "He's not a mutt," he grumbled, a thread of mild irritation weaving into his otherwise calm, dominant and protective scent.

Krista shook her head and crouched down to pet Nix with Eren. "I'm not much of a dog person either, but Nixxy is a cutie and he's such a lovebug. He must've missed you too, just look at him; he's in heaven right now," she said as the dog sprawled back on the grass, showing his belly and wriggling around on his back to be as close to Eren as possible, while his tongue lolled out drolly and his tail whapped exuberantly against the ground.

Levi stepped closer to the pair of Omegas, happy to see Eren perked up while petting Phoenix and talking with Krista. This had been a good idea. "Spoiled, lucky bastard, taking all the cute Omegas for himself," he observed, a grin curling the corner of his mouth as he watched the scene before him.

"Of course 'cause he's a sweetie pie," Eren said, looking up at Levi with a grin from where he knelt. "Do you need help with that? We might as well start. Reiner's gonna be on the phone for a while," Eren said as he finally stood up, brushing off his skirt and knees since he was a bit covered in grass and dog hair although he didn't really mind.

Levi's grin spread further and he shook his head, "Nah, I got this, but why don't you and Krista spread the blanket out for us?" the shorter Alpha suggested, offering the soft checkered blanket in question to the brunette. Phoenix followed Eren, bumping against his calves as he stayed aside him, obviously keen on the Omega and unwilling to leave his side. "He still likes you better than me. Raised him and cleaned up his shit for almost four years and I'm chopped liver soon as he sees you," he commented to Eren with a chuckle. Krista sidled up next to them, linking arms with Eren in a friendly gesture.

"Let's set up in the shade over there. I'm sure Reiner will catch up with us whenever he's done. It's way too hot to sit out in the sun all day. I'll be burnt to a crisp," she said, pointing with her unoccupied hand to a large shaded area beneath a monstrous tree.

“It's cause I'm prettier than you,” Eren said with a teasing grin, batting his eyelashes at Levi playfully. He looked towards the spot Krista pointed out and snickered. “You both are so pale, it's a wonder to see you outside at all. I don't think I've burned a day in my life. I loveeeeee the sun,” Eren said with a laugh.

They arrived at the spot quickly and Eren and Krista spread out the blanket, with no help from Nix who kept trying to take off with it, thinking that it was a game. “Nix… Manners,” Eren said sternly, placing his hands on his hips as he scolded the pup who responded to the command by sitting on his rump in front of Eren, wagging his tail.

Levi chuckled, setting the basket down next to the spread out blanket. "Ooh, he's even gonna listen to you today. He _really_ missed you," he said as he plopped down onto the blanket in a loose cross-legged pose and leaned back on his palms.

Krista seated herself next to him, but not intimately close, folding her hands in her lap and watching Eren and the dog, giggling softly at the antics.

"Hey Nix," Levi called and the dog looked at him dolefully, "How much did you miss Eren? Lots?" The malamute started to fidget and looked back at the Omega and then at Levi and made a little whiny yipping sound, "Don't tell me, tell him," the Alpha said, gesturing at the Omega and the dog barked loudly and pawed at Eren's feet. Krista giggled more, covering her mouth with one hand. "I don't think he heard you Nix." The dog barked again and then howled and nosed at Eren's thigh intently. Levi started laughing too.

Eren was grinning from ear to ear and it was almost hurting his cheeks. "Aww such a good boy, who's a good boy?" he asked as he sat down on the blanket and let Nix bowl him over and lick his face. "It tickles," Eren squealed from underneath the mountain of white fluff, not really trying to push him away though.

Both Krista and Levi continued to laugh and offered absolutely no assistance to the other Omega while the large dog slobbered all over Eren's whole face and flopped down on top of him.

"Fuck, I'm starving, can we eat now?" Levi said after a few moments once the dog had stopped his incessant licking, but remained half lying on Eren, his tongue lolling out, happily panting away, obviously entirely content right where he was.

Krista looked at Levi then Eren, "I don't mind. I could definitely eat. Are you hungry Eren?"

Eren was happily petting Nix, half sitting, half laying on the blanket with the dog draped across him. At the mention of food, he instantly became nervous, looking from Levi to Krista, then in the direction of Reiner. "Um... Not very..." Eren said, biting his lip, "But... I'll have a little... I should wait for Reiner though..."

Levi sat up abruptly and reached to touch Eren's forearm lightly, "If you're hungry, eat. Krista made everything especially with your diet in mind. It's all healthy stuff and you won't still be starving after. Reiner is a grown ass Alpha, I'm pretty sure he can handle getting his own food whenever he's done terrorizing whoever he's on the phone with. At this rate, if we wait for him, we'll all be eating under the light of the moon or some shit," he said, trying to be supportive and teasing at the same time. It was hard to keep the bite from his tone when he mentioned the other Alpha, but he managed.

Krista nodded emphatically. "I totally did. It's the kinda stuff I always make. My former Alpha had to stay pretty fit so I learned how to make all sorts of things that are good and good for you. Low fat and everything," she promised, assisting Levi, "Iced green tea sweetened with honey too 'cause it's healthier," she finished, shuffling to Levi's other side to take out the food, handing the collapsible bowls for Phoenix's food and water to the Alpha along with the bottle of water and baggy of kibble she'd packed for the dog and Levi promptly set up them a couple feet from them so that the dog would be eating his own lunch while they had theirs and wouldn't be a nuisance.

"Here, can you help set this stuff out while I get some cups of iced tea?" Krista requested of the other Omega once Levi had coaxed Phoenix off of him.

"Mm," Eren hummed, glancing nervously back at Reiner, "He just gets so annoyed when I eat things he hasn't approved... I don't want to fight with him." His stomach made an audible growl and he clutched it in embarrassment. He glanced at Krista from under his lashes and said, "That was super thoughtful of you... He can't be pissy if it's all healthy like you say... I'll just have a bit then."

He nodded when Krista asked him to help lay out the food, going into the basket and pulling out the Tupperware. His eyes were fixated on the food as he licked his lips in anticipation although he was still worried that Reiner would freak out and cause a scene.

"Damn right and if he has anything to say about it, he can talk to me. I went to all the trouble to make it a good, healthy meal for us and I know for a fact it's the kinda stuff fitness instructors recommend," Krista said sternly while she poured out cups of iced tea.

Levi sauntered back over and retook his seat, accepting a plastic cup from his girlfriend and a sandwich from Eren, setting both down to open up some of the other containers that the Omega was setting out, revealing the mixed fruit, yogurt pretzels and trail mix. Once everything was spread out and everyone had a cup of iced tea, Krista resettled herself between Levi and Eren and opened up her sandwich container. Levi waited, watching Eren fidget.

"Eat up sweetness, you look famished," he prompted, intending to wait to dig into his own food until he was sure Eren was eating. Eren loved good food; he knew that and it was so wrong to see him so hesitant and so damn skinny. His gaze flickered to the other Alpha that was still pacing and gesticulating wildly with one arm while he held the phone to his ear with the other and smirked a little. Fuck him... If he said anything about Eren's lunch, not only would Levi say something, but he knew the little blonde Omega would have no problem giving him a piece of her mind too. She only looked meek.

"I'm not famished," Eren grumbled, wrinkling his nose in protest. His eyes flickered back to Reiner one more time before his hand darted out and grabbed a strawberry from the fruit container and quickly put it into his mouth like he was afraid he'd get caught. As he chewed, his eyes closed and a happy smile formed on his lips. He glanced back again and grabbed a couple pretzels then a couple nuts from the trail mix. His pattern continued on until he was more relaxed, eating happily, but eyeing the sandwiches wearily. He knew that eating bread without express permission would infuriate Reiner, but they looked so god damn tasty.

"I know I'm not supposed to, but," Eren said quietly to Levi and Krista, "Do you think if I had a sandwich... You guys wouldn't tell Reiner? Like it's only one... It can't be that bad... They just look so good... You've made an amazing lunch Krista... It's amazing." Eren rambled on, still eyeing the sandwich like he was trying to talk himself into eating it.

Krista stopped eating her own sandwich and looked at Eren with soft, sad eyes. She set her sandwich down in her container and reached to touch his hand lightly. "Of course you can have a sandwich Eren. First off, a good diet still requires carbs. Secondly, dark rye bread is better for you than white bread or even whole wheat and you need carbs for energy. You can't exercise if you have no energy and we're going to play Frisbee with Nix after. We're going to need all the energy we can get to keep up with that beast," she said, her voice soft and sincere. What the hell had his Alpha been feeding him if he wasn't allowed pretty much any of the healthy things she'd brought?

"She's right sweetness. You haven't been eating enough of this shit, that's why you've been tired and unfocused at work. I eat lots of this shit 'cause my job is labour intensive, do I look overweight to you?" Levi said, lifting his shirt a bit to show off his chiseled abs and quirking an impish little grin at the two Omegas.

"No... You don't," Eren said, looking down and avoiding their eyes, "But you're an Alpha! I'm an Omega, but I've never looked much like one... I put on too much muscle and I look bulky..." He rubbed his arms like he wanted to hide them and bit his lip. "Well whatever... You guys are right... I'm fucking starving," he said, gaining confidence with their encouragement, and grabbed a sandwich. Just as he was about to take a bite, he looked back again and said, "What he doesn't know, he can't get pissed off about anyway. We came all the way out here and he hasn't even sat down with us..." Eren looked a little sad, then took a giant bite of the sandwich and moaned. "Fuck," he groaned once he'd swallowed, "I miss food..."

"What's the matter with being muscular? I wish I could bulk up, then maybe people wouldn't underestimate me so much. I mean, I'm not some weakling, but I'm pretty sure I couldn't look as toned as you Eren. Maybe if I could, I could have followed my former Alpha into the army. And what are you talking about not looking like an Omega? What the hell is that supposed to mean? You look great to me, well actually, it was better when we first met. You have totally sexy curves, you know. But now, you're all sharp instead," Krista said, a little pink tinting her pale cheeks in a blush.

Levi choked on the mouthful of iced tea he'd just ingested, not having expected his tiny girlfriend to say so much and be quite so blunt in doing so. She sounded envious of Eren's body type. He cleared his throat.

"She's right about that too. Don't sweat it sweetness, just eat alright? You look good when you're filling your face," the Alpha said with a cheeky wink before he dug into his own food and kept a periodical watch on Reiner.

"Jesus Christ," Eren said, covering his face as he blushed bright red, "Can we please talk about something else? I'm eating, I'm eating!" He laughed nervously then took another large bite to appease them. "See?" he said with his mouth full. He felt warm all over, his body thrumming happily as his stomach worked to break down the food. Feeling like he was going to pass out all the time wasn't the best and Eren was getting pretty tired of it. He would have to seriously talk to Reiner about the diet, because it made him feel more unhealthy than healthy. "Maybe you guys should talk to Reiner," he suggested shyly after swallowing, "It's kind of hard to get him to listen to me sometimes..."

"I'll talk to him. Maybe he'll listen better if it's coming from another Alpha," Levi offered, still smiling as he watched Eren eat and he didn't say, but he doubted the other Alpha was going to be listening to anyone else given his distinctly arrogant personality and skewed views of traditional dynamic roles. The blonde reminded him of Erwin's father actually. But at least while Eren was with them, they could support him and deter the other Alpha's behaviour. So long as they could coax Eren the way they were, it was a success.

Levi was glad he'd thought to ask his mother for some of her pastries for the following day, maybe if Reiner wasn't around, Eren would be tempted enough to eat them. It was worth a shot.

Krista nodded her head in agreement, "That's probably a good idea. Let Levi talk to him Eren. You and I can go play with Phoenix once we're all done eating."

Eren nodded his head and gave them a hopeful smile as he finished off his sandwich. He felt so full, he put his hands on the round mound of his stomach as he lay back on the blanket, closed his eyes, and enjoyed the day while he tried to let the food settle.

“Hey… You guys didn't wait for me,” Reiner said, walking up to the group with a frown on his face, pointedly looking at Eren for an answer.

“You were taking forever and we didn't want to bother you,” Eren said, not opening his eyes or moving from his relaxed position.

Reiner huffed and sat down, pulling Eren's torso into his lap.

“Hey I was comfortable,” Eren whined, squirming in the man's hold.

“Yeah, yeah,” said Reiner, not listening to Eren's protest as he grabbed a sandwich and started shoveling it in.

Both Levi and Krista were happy to see Eren full and looking much better than he had for it. The Alpha caught Reiner's approach, eyes narrowing when he immediately focused on Eren, forcing the Omega close to him despite Eren's obvious discomfort and complaints and his tone was not pleased. It was like he was scolding a child or something, but it wasn't teasing. Levi didn't like it.

Krista looked at the blonde Alpha as well, her platinum brows raising and pinching together a bit in response to his words and actions. Gosh, Levi really hadn't been exaggerating at all, had he?

"Sorry about that Reiner. It was my fault. I was starving. I haven't eaten since early this morning," she excused in place of Eren, trying to take the blame off the other Omega.

Levi caught on and shifted, setting a hand on her thigh and grinning, though there was a sharpness in his narrowed silver stare as he looked at the other Alpha, "Can't leave a pretty Omega starving, now can we?"

"Never could handle your Omegas, eh Levi?" Reiner said with a chuckle, finishing off his first sandwich and grabbing a second. Eren sat up in an attempt to get comfortable, but Reiner immediately put his arm around Eren's waist and pulled him close, pausing to scent Eren aggressively, making the Omega scowl.

Levi scoffed, "I don't think controlling their eating habits is part of a **healthy** relationship. Besides, they're happier when they're well fed," he said lowly, glancing at Krista, but she wasn't looking at him; she was glaring at the large Alpha that was _handling_ Eren.

Reiner just frowned as his large hand flexed over Eren's stomach, feeling the bulge. "Hey babe, you feel a bit bloated... Overeating is bad for you. I thought we talked about this?" he said in a worried tone, but there was an edge to his voice.

"Don't press," Eren cried, trying to push his hand away and looking a little green, "You'll make me puke!"

"See... You should have waited for me and then you wouldn't feel sick," Reiner said crossly, not removing his hand from Eren's stomach.

"Hey quit it! He ate less than I did. If that's overeating, then I should be as big as a house. It's because he never eats anymore. He wouldn't feel sick if he was getting enough to eat," the tiny blonde said in irritation, reaching to tug at Eren, pushing at Reiner's arm and digging her nails in just a tad in threat. Levi watched with a sort of proud, amused expression.

He popped his jaw and looked at the other Alpha again, "Yeah man chill, it's not a big deal." He set his hand on Phoenix's back as the large dog came to sit next to him, looking longingly at Eren, but obviously weary of the large blonde Alpha.

Reiner glared at Krista, but removed his hand from Eren's stomach although he still kept Eren close, grumbling under his breath. The Omega breathed a sigh of relief, but looked at Reiner with worried eyes. He could feel how annoyed the man was beneath his skin and in his scent even though he wouldn't say anything.

“Hey, it’s fine… Let's do something else… Do you wanna play frisbee now Krista?” Eren asked, looking like he wanted to diffuse the situation by any means necessary.

The petite blonde Omega perked up at Eren's suggestion, "That's a good idea. Let the Alphas fend for themselves a while," she agreed, standing up and brushing herself off before she turned around to bend over and peck Levi on the cheek and trade a silent look that spoke volumes between the two of them and she retrieved the Frisbee from the picnic basket. Then she straightened up and turned around, offering Eren her unoccupied hand.

Levi leaned back on his palms and watched the Omegas as they moved away from he and Reiner, Phoenix prancing behind then excitedly.

Reiner sighed, leaned back on the blanket and took out his phone as he watched the Omegas play with the dog. "Mm-mmm, my Omega's ass sure is fine," Reiner said with a crooked grin at Levi, obviously bragging to the other Alpha. Eren's skirt was blown dangerously high by the wind as he moved, showing a peek of the blue striped frilly underwear he wore beneath.

Levi snorted. "What ass, he's barely got one now," he returned, also watching the two Omegas as they tossed the Frisbee back and forth and Phoenix chased it until he could catch it and then Krista and Eren had to chase the dog to get it back. He tried to sound casual and maybe a little teasing and keep the bite from his tone, but it was damn hard when he knew damn well that Reiner was no good for Eren and that the Omega was not at all happy in any sense of the word with their relationship. In all the time he'd been with Eren, he'd never seen him as he was with Reiner. It was **wrong**.

“Different strokes for different folks, I guess," Reiner said as he looked at his phone, a little slighted that Levi wouldn't ogle his Omega. "If you didn't think he was attractive, why did you date him then?" the Alpha inquired casually, not really paying much attention to the conversation.

Levi chuckled, but it was hardly amused. "I didn't say he wasn't attractive, but he was sexier when he had some cushion. I'm not into the frail look. He just looks sick now and unhappy. Never known him to eat so little. You should feed him more. He puts out more when he's happy," he commented in return, perhaps a little sharply and not at all wanting Eren to put out at all with the other Alpha, but knowing that it would likely get some sort of reaction from the larger male.

Reiner looked up at Levi with a lazy grin. "I don't mind waiting... Yeah sure, I wanna get in there... But I want Eren to be my mate... Sex will be even better once he's mine forever," he said with a shrug, ignoring the fact that Levi had already been with what he considered to be his already. "I'm gonna ask to bond him during his next heat... Yeah it's pretty soon... But he'll be the perfect mate in a few weeks. I got a ring picked out and everything... He's gonna freak when he sees it."

Levi's jaw twitched and he swallowed hard, feeling his gut knot with apprehension and the ache in his chest rose so abruptly and with such intensity that he almost choked, but he managed to hold it back, covering it with a scoff. "S'that so? What do you mean he'll be perfect in a few weeks? He's not perfect already?"

"Nobody's perfect... We've just been working through some obedience issues... I never thought he'd be so needy and demanding. But it's all good, he's a quick learner," Reiner said, grabbing Eren's glass of iced tea and downing it.

"Right..." The shorter Alpha's eyes narrowed and he knew... Reiner had said something similar when he'd first met the man, but it sounded as if he was implementing his ideals without much trouble and that was troubling in and of itself. Was Eren so desperate for an Alpha to bond that he would settle for that? Where had all that confidence disappeared to? And there was guilt because hadn't Levi been the one to drive him into Reiner's waiting arms just like his mother had said? Fuck... He had to do something... He couldn't wait too much longer, maybe he could talk to Eren about it without being too forward. They were friends, weren't they?

"You really should cut him some slack though. He said he's having a hard time at work because he's tired from not getting enough to eat and working out so much," Levi said, changing the subject, trying to ignore the burning in his chest and the nausea that was rolling in his guts.

"Oh that's fine... I figured it was a lot for him, so I'm gonna tell him to quit. It's not like he will need the money... I have more than enough to take care of the both of us. All he has to do is continue looking pretty and be my Omega," Reiner said with shining eyes trailing Eren as he bounced around with the dog.

"Pfft, good luck with that. He loves working. He never struck me as the stay at home Omega type," Levi said with a snort, though he was a little worried. Reiner's conditioning seemed to be working just fine; it was probably only a matter of time before he'd have his way, regardless of how much Eren didn't like the idea.

Reiner turned his head to give Levi an annoyed look. "He's my Omega and he will do as he's told by his Alpha. This isn't really any of your business. You had your opportunity with him and now you're with someone else. Worry about your own Omega," he almost growled, his tone light, but his meaning aggressive.

"I don't have to worry about my Omega. She's happy and healthy. Yours on the hand, well whatever... Take my advice or don't, but if you keep up the way you're going, don't be surprised if you lose your opportunity too, especially if his mother has anything to say about it," Levi said, shrugging one shoulder and looking pointedly back across the grassy field towards the Omegas that seemed to be taking a break, lounging in the sun with Phoenix sprawled and gnawing happily on the Frisbee between the two of them.

"Dude... You're a cool guy... But you're really overstepping yourself," Reiner said, getting up from the blanket and stomping over towards Eren and Krista.

Levi's brows furrowed and his eyes narrowed further, his own irritation rising in response to the other Alpha's words and his sudden departure. The raven pushed himself to his feet as well, not liking the aggression in Reiner's posture and scent in the least as he approached the Omegas.

"Eren, c'mon get up, we gotta go," he said, staring down at his boyfriend with annoyance.

Eren sat up when he noticed Reiner walking towards them then gave the Alpha a look of confusion and annoyance. "No, I don't wanna go yet," he said simply, laying back down, "If you wanna go, go without me."

"Eren," Reiner barked, reaching down to grab Erens arm roughly almost picking him up completely, "Get your ass up, we are leaving."

Eren squeaked then said, "Hey, let go!" as he tried to keep his ass planted on the ground.

Krista's face went dark and anger flashed in her eyes, "Hey, he said he doesn't want to!" She was about to reach out to help Eren when Phoenix shoved his way between them.

The dog's ears were flattened back against his large head and his teeth were bared, a warning growl sounding as Reiner grabbed at Eren and he sensed the distress. As the brunette struggled, the Malamute became more protective and very suddenly shoved his body between the Alpha and Omega, effectively dislodging the blonde's grip on Eren and making Reiner stumble backwards a couple paces. Once the Alpha was away from Eren, Nix placed himself between the Omega and the recovering and angry Alpha, guarding Eren protectively, growling and snarling with bared teeth, the fluffy fur on his back raised aggressively.

"Fucking mutt," Reiner yelled, regaining his balance then reaching down to take off one of his flip flops. He raised it above his head and walked towards the growling dog, ready to smack the disobedience out of it.

"Reiner, what the fuck? Stop," Eren screamed, scrambling up to try and protect the dog that was protecting him. Reiner was a big guy, he could hurt Phoenix and Eren was terrified, his scent leaking out, surprised and distressed by the turn of events.

Levi 's face was twisted with a dark scowl and a growl rumbled from his throat as he intercepted the other Alpha that appeared to be prepared to strike **his** fucking dog. Phoenix was only protecting the Omegas from a perceived danger. Reiner's aggression had put the canine on edge to begin with. He could smell the distress of both the Omegas in the air around them and it only served to raise his own hackles further. What the fuck was wrong with this shit head?

Flashes of vivid memory from when he was small flickered through his head. Hiding under the bed while his mother and father fought, scents of distress and aggression, familiar sounds of things shattering and bodies colliding. That was it; he'd had enough of this macho Alpha abusive bullshit for the day.

He grabbed the larger male's raised arm in a firm grip and stepped in his way, his other hand pressing against the broad chest of the other Alpha. "You don't wanna do that. I think you need to go cool off _dude_ ," he warned roughly, voice low as his scent rose up around him dominant and protective. Neither of the Omegas should be dealing with this shit and neither should Phoenix, though he was proud of his buddy for protecting the pair.

Krista was on her feet as well and at Eren's side, grabbing one of his hands and squeezing it in her own, her own distress rising to accompany his, unused to such fierce aggression and near violence from an Alpha that was supposed to be taking care of an Omega. She didn't care for it at all and now she was doubly worried for her friend. She'd known that Reiner was not the greatest Alpha and she understood that he had traditional beliefs and was controlling, but this display led her to believe that he had the potential to escalate his abuse to something more physical and that scared her for Eren's sake.

Reiner roughly ripped his arm out of Levi's hand as he used his height and weight advantage to tower over the smaller Alpha. "Don't fucking touch me! He fucking attacked me! I should call animal control and get this fucking mongrel put down," he shouted at Levi, veins popping on his bright red face.

The shorter Alpha held his ground without even a flinch, completely unafraid of the larger male. Levi could hold his own against people twice his size and he was hardly going to be cowed by Reiner's ridiculous testosterone fueled outburst.

"Pfft, if he'd attacked you, you'd be bleeding. But by all means, call them and the cops too. He's trying to protect your Omega from **you**. That says something," Levi replied dangerously, still keeping himself between the other Alpha and the pair of Omegas behind him.

"Fuck you," Reiner basically yelled in Levi's face, then turned on his heel and stormed his way back to the parking lot.

Eren looked from Krista to Levi, then whined, a look of pure mortification on his face as he tried to decide what to do. Finally, he let go of Krista's hand to run after Reiner, maybe try and calm him down. He shouldn't drive when he was in such a rage.

Levi didn't even blink and watched the other Alpha stalk off before he shook his head a little. Krista tried to follow Eren as he bolted after the angry blonde, but Levi stopped her. He slipped his arm around her and pet Phoenix's head in praise.

"Just wait. If he does anything else, I'll step in. Eren's got to confront him though. I don't think Reiner's going to do anything more than storm off. He's suffering a bruised ego, fucking douche. Eren'll be back," he said and Krista leaned against him while the two of them watched the scene unfolding a few yards away in the parking lot between Reiner and Levi's parked vehicles.

As soon as Eren caught up to his Alpha, he touched his arm and Reiner ripped it away. The two started to scream at each other, Eren asking the man why he was being such an asshole and Reiner saying that if Eren would have just listened to him and not been a worthless piece of shit Omega, none of this would have happened. It was heated and it was shockingly loud, all the occupants of the park looking in their direction.

Reiner moved towards Eren, like he was about to release his aggression on the Omega, then at the last moment seemed to rethink it and turned around and ripped open his car door to get into the driver's seat instead. He slammed it shut as Eren continued to scream at him and even slapped his hand against the metal, but Reiner ignored him, turned over the ignition, then peeled out of the parking lot. Reiner left Eren yelling after him, yanking off his bow so he could pull at his hair instead.

Tears started to stream down Eren's face as he squatted down, hugging his knees so that he was pressed tightly into a ball. He was so upset and hurt by his Alpha's actions, not to mention embarrassed. Eren never thought that Reiner would try and hit a dog.

He cried so hard, he choked on his sobs and started to gag, immediately throwing up all the food he had previously eaten. Eren cried even harder as the taste of bile burned his tongue, tremors moving through his body as he tried and failed to calm down.

Levi didn't have to prompt Krista when they watched Reiner drive off and Eren broke down beside Levi's truck; the petite blonde left Levi's side immediately to go and comfort the other Omega, Phoenix following after her right away, running ahead to greet Eren before she even reached him.

The dog whined and nosed against Eren's arm, trying to console the obviously distraught male while Krista came to crouch down on his other side, one tentative hand reaching out and rubbing his back, her scent wafting around them with concern and comfort. "Hey, it'll be okay. We'll take you home. It's still a nice day. Maybe we can order a pizza or something later if you don't mind us intruding at your house. I never did get the grand tour the last time I was there," she said in a soothing tone, coaxing and prepared to offer him whatever comfort she could if he asked.

Levi packed up the picnic blanket and basket, throwing the trash out in the provided bins on his way over to the pair, heaving a heavy sigh and trying to rein in his chaotic thoughts and whirling emotions. He wasn't entirely sure how to feel or what he should do. He wanted to draw Eren against him and comfort him like he had in the past, but he couldn't, not anymore. Instead, he let Krista go to him first because he knew if he did, he wouldn't be able to stop himself from doing just that. He had to calm himself down after the altercation and the subsequent scene he and Krista had witnessed. It made him ache inside to see Eren like that; it hurt and it scared him.

"It hurts... I'm t-tired," Eren cried, turning himself to fall into Krista's arms. "Everything is so f-fucked up... I can't... I can't do this anymore... No one will ever l-love me no matter how hard I try... I've tried so hard," Eren said, practically screamed the last part as he cried on the other Omega. His scent was high in the air, filled with sorrow and distress, unpleasant to the nose. People walked past, staring at the hysterical Omega, but no one said anything. Eren kept telling himself to suck it up and stop acting like a baby, but it hurt so bad. He'd tried so hard with this relationship; tried to be everything Reiner could want and it _still_ wasn't good enough.

Krista wrapped her arms tightly around Eren and pet his hair. "That's not true Eren. Maybe Reiner's just not the right Alpha for you. There's definitely someone that loves you, they just don't know it yet. I know we don't know each other all that well yet, but I'd like to think we're friends and I care about you a great deal. You shouldn't have to try so hard to be someone else for anyone to love you. It'll be alright though, I promise. It's hard and hurts right now, but I have a feeling that the future is going to brighten up, you'll see," she said, rubbing his back and running her fingers through his hair repeatedly while Phoenix leaned against them, perking up when Levi approached.

The Alpha had to force his steps to remain slow and calm and he had to force himself to stop to put the picnic stuff in the back of his truck instead of immediately going over to the pair of Omegas as his instincts were screaming at him to. He closed his eyes and took several steadying breaths though they did little to help when the scent of Eren's distraught was so potent and intense in the air. Fuck it... It was too much... He didn't know how anyone could ignore a scent like that.

He stepped over to them, a low croon sounding from within his chest before he could even attempt to stifle it and even if he could have, he didn't want to. They needed to get Eren calmed down and comfortable enough that they could get him home and taken care of. He needed to eat and he obviously needed some comfort, something to help him bounce back from the awful experience he'd just had. Krista looked at him and gave him a small sad smile while she held Eren against her.

Eren nodded his head at Krista as he tried to stop himself from shaking, rubbing his eyes furiously to stop the tears. When Levi crooned at him, a little whine escaped his throat in answer before he cut it off. Levi was not his Alpha; he was only trying to comfort him. “Yeah… Okay… I'm okay… It's okay… I'm okay,” Eren repeated to them, trying to convince himself of his own words. He got up and straightened his clothes, “Let’s just go h-home… Everyone's staring at me,” he said, going to the back door of Levi's truck and waiting for it to be opened, “I wanna cuddle Nix to say sorry on the way back.” He gave Levi and Krista a forced smile, his eyes bright red and face wet from tears.

"Of course sweetness, whatever you want. You got groceries at your place so I can make us all dinner? Or you want us to just drop you off?" Levi said as he unlocked the truck. Krista climbed into the front passenger seat and Phoenix immediately hopped in the backseat when Eren opened the door.

"I don't have any groceries. Reiner kind of cleaned out my pantry..." Eren said with a sniffle, buckling in and cuddling into Nix. "We could order something if you guys want... Or since I already ruined your date, you could just drop me off," he said sadly, already starting to blame himself for the whole debacle.

Levi looked at Eren in the rear view mirror, seeing and smelling the upset lingering in the other Omega. "You didn't ruin shit sweetness. It's not your fault Reiner decided to roid out like a whiny bitch 'cause you ate a fucking sandwich. That guy needs to chill out. We can come hang out for a bit, get you fed again. Question is Chinese or pizza?" he said, his scent filling the cab of the truck with protectiveness to soothe the still stressed out Omegas. Krista threaded her fingers with his and smiled, though her eyes were focused out the window. She could tell that Levi was pretty upset by everything that had happened, but he was more concerned with Eren and herself and making sure they were comfortable. Eren was lucky to have such a good Alpha to keep an eye on him and he was more loved than he knew.

Eren looked down and smiled, blushing a bit at the soothing scent and the nickname that Levi used to use when they were dating. "Pizza sounds good... You never know how much you miss cheese until you stop eating it," Eren said with a smile, cheekiness leaking into his voice. His scent started to fill the air, full of renewed happiness and gratitude. Eren wouldn't know what to do if he had to sit in his house all alone. He knew the loneliness would tempt him into calling Reiner and asking for forgiveness. He just couldn't stand being all alone anymore.

"Pizza it is," the Alpha agreed, smiling as Eren's scent turned much lighter and Krista gave his hand a squeeze, pleased with the change as well. He let go after a couple of seconds to pull his cell from his pocket and offer it to Eren over the seat, without looking, silve eyes on the road while he drove, "Here, you order whatever you want, we aren't picky. The number is under Mike's."

"Okay," Eren said, taking the phone. He phoned the number and ordered two large pepperoni and two large cheese. Eren was so hungry, he figured he would eat a ton and he nuzzled into Nix's fur as he waited to arrive home.

They made it back to the Omega's home in no time and Krista helped Eren pick out a movie to watch while Levi puttered around Eren's kitchen for plates and drinks for the three of them before the pizza arrived. He paid for it without a thought and kicked the front door shut behind him before they all settled down to watch the movie and eat. Levi sat on the floor with Phoenix, leaning back against the couch while the two Omegas curled up on it together and that's how they stayed until it was getting dark out. It was comfortable and easy and familiar in a way that made Levi miss all the nights he'd spent exactly like it with Eren, even with Krista added to the mix.

It was around eight o'clock by the time Levi tucked the leftover pizza away in Eren's refrigerator and he and Krista were at the front door pulling on their shoes to leave. Krista stepped out first, already on her way to the truck with Levi's keys in hand while the Alpha lingered.

"Are you going to be alright on your own sweetness?" he asked Eren as he stood in the doorway with him, Phoenix sitting lazily next to the brunette and leaning against his legs.

"It'll be a bit lonely," Eren said, rubbing one arm as he gave them a weak smile, "I'm so used to Reiner taking up the whole bed, I'm not going to know what to do with myself." He chuckled nervously, dreading the moment he'd be all alone in his house.

Levi could smell Eren's apprehension and little threads of melancholy as he fidgeted and the Alpha inclined his head. "You want to keep Nix for the night? He's a good bedwarmer and he'll keep you from being lonely," he offered, looking down at the dog in question that was propped heavily against the Omega and didn't look at all inclined to leave.

Eren's eyes widened as he looked at Levi then down at Nix. "Is that okay?... Um... I don't want him to be uncomfortable. Won't he be upset without you?" he asked as he bit his lip. Honestly he would love for Nix to stay with him; it would make his night so much more tolerable.

Levi shook his head, a half smile tugging at his lips. "Yeah right. Look at him...Think he wants to stay and keep you company tonight. Just don't feed him any of that leftover pizza," he assured, feeling better for leaving the dog with Eren. At least Nix would protect him while Levi wasn't around and Eren wouldn't be left all alone for the night when he was obviously uncomfortable with the prospect. Levi had a feeling that Reiner did things like this on purpose so that Eren would get lonely enough to call him and beg him to come back. Well, he was going to be disappointed tonight, wasn't he?

Eren smiled though he continued to bite his lip and danced in place, looking unsure. Suddenly, he burst forward to embrace Levi in a tight hug and said, "Thank you," and gave him a kiss on the cheek. He let go and moved to Krista to do the same. "You guys are awesome," he said, pulling back, "I hope you have a good night."

Levi didn't even get the chance to return the unexpected embrace and he was disappointed. Warmth spread through him from the contact and he felt it all the way to his fingertips and toes. The tips of his ears turned pink and burned and somehow, he thought maybe it wasn't hopeless.

"It's not a problem sweetness. If you need anything, you know how to get ahold of us. Get some rest and I'll see you in the morning," he said while Krista was returning Eren's embrace warmly and whispering some encouraging words to the other Omega. He knelt down to pat Phoenix's head and framed the dog's face with his hands for a minute. "You take good care of him," he murmured before he dropped a kiss between the dog's eyes and straightened up, moving to get into his truck along with his girlfriend and go back home. The strange warmth was still in his chest alongside the ache and he rubbed at it unconsciously as he started the vehicle.

Krista waved to Eren as she and Levi left the other Omega's house and Levi watched Eren wave back with Phoenix still happily standing next to him.


	19. Patching Cracks

Once home, Levi showered and went up to bed, exhausted and intending to go to bed early. Krista showered while Levi curled up in bed and closed his eyes, not sleeping, but simply resting. It had been a hell of a day and he felt so strange. Once the Omega was in bed with him, the both of them comfortable and settled in for the night, she fell asleep pretty quickly and Levi was left with his own thoughts. He was exhausted, but wide awake and all he could think about was Eren.

**Eren:**  
_I think Nix might take up more room than Reiner....  
**img.**_

The picture showed Eren curled around Nix who was fast asleep and indeed taking up Eren's entire king sized bed, as Eren smiled happily beside him.

 

Levi jumped when his phone buzzed against his hip, having been lost in his thoughts and forgotten he'd even had the device on the bed with him.

He squinted at the screen in the dark and smiled at the picture that was adorable and familiar and somehow made the aching in him flare.

He sent a message back before he took anymore time to look at it and analyze the feeling that was both heavy and light in his chest.

**Levi:**  
_At least he likes to cuddle and he doesn't mind if you snore._

 

**Eren:**  
_:O I DO NOT SNORE!!! >:( _

 

Levi chuckled at the other male's obviously affronted response and he could just imagine Eren's expression. He was smiling broadly as he quickly typed back.

**Levi:**  
_:D you do too. But it's cute._

 

**Eren:**  
_blasphemy... I will sue you for slander! Lolllll_  
**img.**  
^^that face is too cute to snore 

 

The Alpha stared for several long moments at the image, forgetting he was supposed to be typing a response as he just looked at the picture of the Omega. Eren looked happier than Levi had seen him in a long while and it was beautiful and he was rubbing at his chest again unconsciously. He blinked rapidly after a few moments, finally realizing he had yet to respond to the other male.

**Levi:**  
_Nah sweetness, you're just too cute for it to matter._

**Eren:**  
_**img.** still too cute for it to matter?_

 

The image was of Eren making the most ridiculous face imaginable; eyes rolled back, nose pressed down, with a double chin.

Levi snorted, a grin on his lips as he looked at the silly pic, shaking his head a little as he typed another response.

**Levi:**  
_Of course, actually, you're cuter like that :P_

**Eren:**  
_sooooooo meannnnn to meeeeeeeee 3  
**img.** _

 

Eren sent a pouty face, but his eyes shined with happiness.

Levi's expression was soft as he looked at yet another picture. Eren was feeling particularly photogenic this evening apparently and that was just one more piece of proof that Levi had managed to do what he'd set out to. Eren looked genuinely happy even with the dramatic pout on pretty bowed lips. It was in his eyes and right then Levi realized those eyes were just for him. He'd made that happen just now. The realization made butterflies flutter in his stomach and that aching stirred and heated in his chest, becoming increasingly more insistent. But he ignored it in order to reply once again, no longer feeling that exhaustion from earlier.

**Levi:**  
_You make it too easy sweetness. I'd give you a hug as an apology, but since I can't, you'll just have to use your imagination. Maybe this'll help._

_**img** _

_Can you feel me? ;)_

 

Levi had snapped a picture of himself, still lying back in his bed, and a little mussed. His hair was spread over his pillow beneath his head and he was shirtless. Krista was next to him, but she was curled facing the opposite direction and thus unseen in the picture which had been taken in such a way that Levi looked as if he was reaching towards whatever was on the other side of the camera. His eyes were soft, half-dilated and warm with his own contentment and affection for the photo's recipient and he had a soft half smile on his lips.

**Eren:**  
_STAHHHPPPPP I kno you didn't mean to make it sexual but this is me you're talking to... I should have just made you and Krista sleep over. I thought it would have been weird... your ex sleeping with your gf... so I didn't... but yeah... bad Levi... no cookie for you._

 

Levi's lashes lowered and his smile turned a little devilish while he wrote back, feeling warmth rushing inside him again.

**Levi:**  
_I don't think that would be bad. You guys were cute cuddled on the couch together. Would you guys make me sleep on the floor? Probably, specially with Nix there. lol_

_How come I'm the one scolded and cookieless when you are the one that made it naughty?_

 

**Eren:**  
_nahhhhhhhhh I would have made it so we all fit.... now that's every Alphas dream... being sandwiched between two Omegas._

_You don't get cookies cause you made me consider group sex. I'm the one whose not getting any so at least you should go cookieless._

 

Levi shook his head and typed his response quickly.

**Levi:**  
_I thought I already told you I wasn't getting any either. And now I'm cookieless to boot._

_It's never been much of a fantasy of mine. Think it'd be hard to keep up with two of you at a time in that department. I mean, I got skills, but I'm not that cocky. ;)_

 

And once he'd sent the message, Levi realized how wide his smile had become, how his jaw ached with it and he was warm and felt heavy and light at the same time. He’d missed the humour, the banter between them that had always come so naturally. And the suffocating tight throbbing in his chest was almost unbearable. And once he took notice of it, it became harder to breathe and he had to consider it because he was almost concerned that he was having some kind of reaction. It hurt, but it was like a pull, an awful, painfully desperate pull. And he only felt it around Eren, talking to Eren, seeing him, touching him, and he remembered the first night it had been so bad, the night Krista and he had tried and failed to get intimate. And his eyes went wide as realization struck, abruptly and without mercy, punching him in the gut and flooding his chest, making him choke on his breath.

And it was like drowning... A slow suicide where he'd filled his pockets with rocks and slipped into the water of his own accord, but panicked as soon as he realized he had no air left to breathe, but the panic eventually faded and he was left with a sense of peace, watching the blue around him with profound wonder. Only in his case the water was his favourite shade of green and came in the form of a certain Omega's eyes and because it was that particular Omega, because only he was special and so beautiful that it sometimes hurt Levi to look at him, the Alpha didn't mind drowning in that green. Who needed air anyways? He could live on Eren's smiles and the sparkling in his eyes. He was suffocating, but once the panic passed, there was only Eren. And Levi knew... He loved him.

**Eren:**  
_I'm probably gonna have to go jerk off now. Thanks for the material ;)_

 

Levi laid still, breathing in and out for several long minutes as everything fell into place and he understood that he'd known from the very start. He'd been in love with Eren, maybe from the first time they'd met, maybe his instincts had already known it then and pushed him to get closer. And he had, like a moth to a flame and he'd been such a fool. He'd thought he might have loved people before, but not like this, never like this. It was electric and fierce, a twister and tidal wave all wrapped into one and what the hell had he been so afraid of? And now... He had to have him back. He would make it happen. Some way, somehow, he would have Eren back.

He finally managed to tear himself away from his newfound comprehension and the swelling in his chest seemed pacified by his knowledge though it still ached with the pull, but that was bearable too because he would find a way to soothe it. He would have the remedy. He wrote another response.

**Levi:**  
_Anytime you wicked tease. I'd send you another, but I wouldn't want to tempt you any further and lose all future cookie privileges._

 

**Eren:**  
_toooo late. I'm off to masturbate. Nighty night Levi <3.... p.s if it's a good session I'll give you a cookie ;)_

 

**Levi:**  
_Have fun sweetness. Sweet dreams. <3_

_P.s.  
If it's really good, can I get milk to dip my cookie in too? :P_

 

Levi bit his lip, sucking it between his teeth and trying to remember that this flirting was probably just all in jest. Eren had said he was going to let go. Levi didn't think Eren was serious and neither one of them was going to be doing anything to betray their current partners so really it was probably just all in humour. But he couldn't help, but hope that maybe there was a thread of truth in the subtext. He wanted Eren back, he'd decided finally. He loved him and wanted him, but he wasn't so sure how forgiving Eren would be, given what he'd done in the past and he wasn't sure how open and accepting the Omega would be to giving him another chance.

He was nervous and concerned. He needed to go about it the right way like his mother had said and he had to help Eren see Reiner for what he was and escape him before Levi could even begin fantasizing about another chance with the Omega. He had to think about Krista too and he had to brace himself for the possibility that all he would attain from Eren was friendship. It would be devastating if he could never have the chance to make up for his mistake and prove to Eren that he was a better Alpha, that he was capable of changing, but if it happened, he couldn't refuse and he would have to be content with whatever the Omega was willing to allow him. If Eren wanted nothing more than what they had now, then he would grin and bare it because he loved him and he could let him be happy with someone else as long as Eren was **happy** and he would be his friend because friendship was better than nothing at all.

***

It was early the next morning when Eren was awoken by Nix jumping off his bed and howling because there was a knock on his front door.

The Omega got up and rubbed his swollen eyes as he made his way to the front door to bitch out whoever had woken him from his slumber. Nix was still barking and jumping around, excited to see who was here as well.

Eren opened the door and squinted in the early morning sun to see a short man with a clipboard.

"Hi there!" the guy greeted with a smile, "I have a delivery for Eren Jaeger."

"That's me, but I didn't order anything," Eren said, his brow furrowing with confusion.

"That's fine. It's all been paid for. Just sign here," the man said, offering Eren his clipboard. Eren signed then watched as the man went back to his van to retrieve two giant vases of flowers.

"Where do you want them?" the man asked as he stepped through the door, "There are ten more as well."

Eren stared, shocked at the delivery, his jaw dropped as he viewed the beautiful arrangements of flowers. "Um... On the dining room table," he said, directing the man to the giant table.

Soon enough all twelve vases sat on Eren's table, all different colours and sizes and all very beautiful. They must have cost a fortune. Before the delivery man left, he handed Eren a card then tipped his hat in goodbye.

The card read:

_'Babe,_

_My behaviour yesterday was inexcusable... I didn't mean it and it will never happen again. I love you and I'm sorry._

_Your Alpha,  
Reiner'_

 

Eren bit his lip as he smiled to himself. It must have taken forever and cost a shit ton of money for the man to set this up. He really must be sorry. Eren thought maybe this relationship could be salvaged, if Reiner was willing to try.

Bringing up his phone, he immediately sent Levi a picture of the flowers and the note.

**Eren:**  
_sooo cute :) such a sweet way to apologize... he must be really sorry about what happened yesterday...  
**img**_

 

Levi growled as he looked at the picture and read over the message. **Of course** Reiner was sorry and he had made a grand gesture in order to convince Eren that he was so sorry for being a total prick the day before because that's what creeps like him always did. Levi knew; he'd seen it a thousand times as a child, heard begging apologies and seen gifts that would later be taken back once the forgiveness sought had been received. Reiner wasn't sorry... He was manipulative. There was nothing genuine about what he was doing, even if he'd convinced Eren and maybe even himself that he was.

He'd woken up in a good mood, showered, shaved, cooked for Krista before she'd even pulled herself out of his bed, packed kibble for his dog and left early to pick up the pastries from his mother and had just slipped back into his truck with the bright, ribbon wrapped box when he'd received the message and his mood had effectively been snuffed. Damn Reiner... How could Eren fall for it so easily?

He had to lay his forehead against his steering wheel, close his eyes and just breathe for several long moments to rein in his squalling emotions before he could respond and start his truck to be on his way over to the Omega's.

**Levi:**  
_I really hope you're right sweetness. You should never have to put up with that kinda bullshit treatment._

 

He arrived at Eren's house in a period of about ten minutes or so and it was both the longest and shortest ten minutes of his life. He cut the engine once he'd pulled into the driveway next to Eren's car and drew in a deep breath before letting it out and bracing himself for the sight of the Omega. It was different now that he knew what the fluttering tightness in his gut and the aching pull in his chest was and he needed a minute to prepare before he could see Eren, lest he give himself away too soon. _Slow..._ he reminded himself before he plucked up the baggie of kibble and the box of pastries and made his way to the Omega's front door, letting himself in. He sauntered inside and greeted his dog warmly as he looked around for Eren.

"Hey sweetness, where you at? I got something for you," he called as he made his way to the kitchen to find a bowl to feed Phoenix as the Malamute followed after him, obviously interested and assuming what Levi was doing.

Eren came trotting down the hall wearing a giant green sweater that fell off one shoulder and baggy grey sweats. He had a towel on his head, drying his wet hair as he had just gotten out of the shower. "Oohhh what'd you get me," Eren asked with excitement, "Everyone's getting me presents today!"

Levi looked up from where he was pouring the kibble into a Tupperware container on the floor for Phoenix while the dog sat waiting impatiently and gestured with his unoccupied hand to the ribbon-clad box on the island counter. "Tch, bet you like my present better," he said confidently, sending a roguish smile and wink at the Omega before he turned back to what he was doing and straightened up, making eye contact with his fidgeting dog for several long seconds before he gave little nod and Phoenix immediately dug into his food.

Levi shook his head and turned to face Eren once he'd tossed the emptied baggy into the garbage under the sink. "Well, open it up," he prompted, crossing his arms loosely over his waist, leaning back against the counter to better watch the Omega open the treats he'd brought him, appreciating the comfortable cuteness of Eren freshly showered and his lazy day clothing choice.

Eren gave one last aggressive rub of his hair then wrapped the white towel around his neck as he leaned on the island to inspect the box. He gave Levi a smile, then tugged on the ribbon, opening the box to see a selection of assorted baked goods.

"Oh my god," Eren whispered, looking wide eyed at the food. "These are from your mom's shop aren't they," he said with his eyes fixated on the pastries as he licked his lips. His eyebrows bunched together in concern and he whined, "Why would you bring these? You know I can't resist them!"

"That's exactly why I brought them sweetness. You need to eat more and don't give me any bullshit about your diet. My ma made them 'specially for you 'cause she agrees with me. We can eat 'em together. It's not gonna fuck you up to indulge a little. Besides, how's Reiner gonna know if they're all gone before he shows up?" Levi said, inclining his head a little, a challenging light in his silvery eyes as he shifted against the counter.

Eren whined some more and bounced in place, obviously wanting to eat them, but feeling conflicted. Finally, he said, "Fuck it... I'm still kinda mad at him anyway," he said before he grabbed one and shoved it in his eager mouth. He groaned loudly as he chewed, devouring the pastry with eyes rolling back in his head.

Once he was done, he suddenly said, "Oh yeah," then went to the pantry and grabbed out a box of Oreos. "Reiner forgot to chuck these... So here you go," he said cheekily as he handed Levi a cookie.

Levi grinned triumphantly when Eren gave in and snatched up one of the pastries, though the grin turned wicked and mischievous as soon as Eren offered him a cookie.

He chuckled, "What, no milk? Guess I'll have to send you a better pic next time," he observed casually, lashes lowering over his warm eyes. He popped the cookie into his mouth and smiled teasingly.

Eren just snorted with a devilish smile of his own as he picked up another pastry and said, "Damn straight. I need quality content for my fap sessions." He laughed loudly as he took another bite. Eren felt insanely good today, and with Reiner begging his forgiveness, he wasn't even worried about fighting with the man. Things were looking up.

Levi snorted in return and leaned forward to pick out a Danish of his own, taking a bite and looking thoughtful as he chewed. "You shouldn't tempt me sweetness. Or next time I might send you one when I'm in a bubble bath," he said once he'd swallowed. "You'd probably blow your load just seeing my tub again. Bet you dream about it."

"Yup," Eren said, popping the 'p'. "To be honest, you wouldn't even need to be in it... It's a nice fucking tub... I would let that tub do naughty things to me," he said with a dreamy look in his eyes then burst out into more giggles.

Levi laughed, "So I recall. If you'd like, you can come visit. I'll leave you and my tub so you can have some _alone_ time together," he said, still chuckling as he licked jelly off his thumb, "Should charge for that shit, but since we're friends, the first time's for free."

Eren shook his head at the man and wagged his finger. "You shouldn't prostitute out your tub Levi... You're not pimp material... Although I can't say I'm not interested," he said then dry scrubbed his face, "God, I need to get laid... This is getting ridiculous."

"Ah c'mon, I'm a great pimp, all my sinks and tubs are clean and well taken care of," the Alpha replied, grinning lopsidedly before his gaze glinted a little darkly in response to Eren's proclamation, "Well, I can always ask Krista about that slumber party if you're that desperate. It can't be _that_ bad. Reiner didn't seem too inclined to rush it when I was talking to him the other day. Says it'll be better if you guys wait." It might have been a tad manipulative and a little bit of a stretch from the truth, but he wasn't going to be sorry if it would help keep Eren from sleeping with the big blonde dick, no pun intended.

"I think a threesome with another couple would probably constitute cheating," Eren said with a sigh, putting his face in his hand. "Reiner actually doesn't seem that interested in sex... He wants our first time to be when I'm in heat for some stupid reason... Like heat sex is good... But it's not like I'd really remember it if I'm in heat," Eren said with a shrug. "I tried to talk him into oral if he wanted to wait for my heat... But he won't give head and hell if I'm gonna suck cock when the favour isn't going to be returned," he said, wrinkling his nose with distaste.

Levi shook his head, trying to seem as if he was maybe surprised, when he really wasn't. It was no shock that Reiner wasn't inclined to spoil Eren in bed just as he wasn't inclined to be considerate of him anywhere else and Levi already knew exactly why the blonde wanted to wait for Eren's heat and it was no doubt for the very reason that Eren wouldn't be coherent enough to consent or refuse a bond if the Alpha pressed for it.

"He's an idiot," he scoffed, "Dunno what's wrong with the Alphas in this city. Seriously, a spoiled Omega is a happy Omega. I'd rather give than receive any day of the week," he sighed and shifted his weight again, ignoring the little shiver that crawled down his spine and settled at the base to throb intently as the memory of Eren's taste flickered in his mind and he had to shake his head to dislodge it before it caused a more obvious reaction. "I guess group sex would be considered cheating... Well, my tub is still available, if you get too desperate."

"Mm, thanks I guess," Eren said with a sigh, dropping down on the counter to lay face first. "I'm sooo horny... Totally isn't fair at all," he whined, muffled into the counter. He turned his head to look up at Levi, "Whatchya working on today?"

Levi was happy enough to change topics as he picked out another pastry and bit into it while he watched the Omega. He reached out with his other hand to ruffle Eren's damp hair in an affectionate gesture. "You'll be alright," he assured before he followed with an answer for the topic change, "Mm, putting in the tile surround in your downstairs bathroom. It's blue and green. The whole bathroom is ocean themed. You should come look at it later when I'm done, though it won't look as good as when it's finished. I haven't painted the walls or installed the new lights yet."

“Mm… Okay… I'm just gonna watch movies all day… Relax and ignore Reiner's texts until he has grovelled enough,” Eren said standing up straight. He walked forward and wrapped his arms around Levi in a tight embrace and said, “Thanks for the pastries… And everything you've done in the last little while… I know I already thanked you, but I really really appreciate it…”

Levi wrapped his arms around Eren in return, squeezing him just enough to be affectionate and make the Omega feel safe and wanted. His scent curled around them with much of the same, protective, warm and affectionate. "Don't thank me sweetness, I told you, I'd be around if you needed me. I know it was hard to believe, but I meant it."

Eren squeezed Levi back, continuing to hold the man and not wanting to let go. “I should probably let go now,” he said with a laugh, his forehead resting on Levi's shoulder, but made no move to back away.

"Probably should," Levi agreed, but didn't move either, resting his cheek against Eren's head. He wasn't too inclined to let go of the Omega."Hey, don't ever be afraid to call me Eren. I'll always come to rescue you. I'll always be your temporary Alpha when you need me."

Eren flinched and backed away from the Alpha immediately, face blushing bright red as he looked away. "Too far, Levi," he muttered before he grabbed the box of remaining pastries and retreated to the living room where he would nest and watch movies. He couldn't stand it when Levi spoke like that. "I let him go, I let him go, this is nothing, I don't feel anything," he whispered under his breath to himself, squashing the feelings those words invoked in himself immediately.

The Alpha sighed when Eren pulled away from him and disappeared. He ran a hand through his hair roughly. Okay... There was a clear boundary there. He would find a way to breach it. He was honest, but he could understand Eren's rejection. It hurt, but he deserved it. He'd hurt Eren and he would pay for it however he had to.

He didn't follow Eren, let him go, gave him space because he loved him and that made all the difference. He lingered in the kitchen for several moments before he made his way downstairs to work for the day.

Eren avoided Levi for the rest of the day, although he still continued to send him cute videos and memes. Texting felt a lot safer than face to face. Reiner managed to talk him into dinner the next day and whole-heartedly promised the Omega that he would never have an outburst like that again and that he would back off on the diet pressure. Eren wanted to believe him, so he decided to give Reiner another chance, but a little voice in the back of his mind was asking him how many chances he would give the Alpha?


	20. Crossed Wires

 

Reiner began to sleep at Eren's again, taking up the entire bed and snoring loudly. Eren was alright with it, again at least he never got cold at night. It was early Wednesday morning and Eren had rolled out of bed after a horribly restless sleep. He went to his bathroom and began to get ready for the day. Eren always had to make sure that he was ready before Levi showed up at his house; he couldn't let the Alpha know he still slept in his giant green t-shirt every night and wore the bracelet from the fair. They made him feel happy and safe, so even though he'd tried time and time again to throw the two items out, he could not.

Eren took off the charm bracelet and put it by the sink as he began to brush his teeth. He was still half awake so he didn't notice it slowly fall until it slid off the edge and into the basin and then down the sink drain. Eren stared for a moment as his heart stopped beating and then he screamed bloody murder, clawing at the drain, trying to get the bracelet out.

Reiner bolted into the bathroom, still only wearing yellow boxer briefs. “What's wrong? What happened?” he yelled, his scent aggressive, trying to ward away any threat.

“My bracelet,” Eren shrieked, “It fell down the drain.”

Reiner sighed loudly and pinched the bridge of his nose in exasperation over the overreaction from the Omega, “Babe, I'll buy you a new one.” His tone was groggy and filled with annoyance as he watched the frantic Omega.

“No, you don't understand! It's important!” Eren screamed, trying vainly to look down the drain.

Levi hummed along with his morning music as he made his way to work. He let himself inside Eren's house and immediately picked up the distressed scent even as he could hear Eren's high voice. He was immediately concerned and had to forcibly keep himself from sprinting down the hallway to see what the Omega was so upset about, keeping his steps even as he approached Eren's room, words filtering out between Eren and his Alpha.

He rapped his knuckles on the door, eyes widening as he caught sight of Eren in his shirt. He'd kept it, was wearing it; why would he do that?

Levi swallowed and wet his lips, clearing his throat roughly, "Is everything alright?

Eren looked up, eyes shining with tears as he gaped at Levi, gaze widening in shock. He choked on his spit, stuttering and spluttering as he tried to force the words out when Reiner took over for him. "Eren lost his grandmother's bracelet down the sink and now he's having a fucking hissy fit about it," Reiner said then yawned as he leaned against the bathroom wall, "I told him I'd buy him another, but he keeps saying it's irreplaceable. Can you get it out?"

"You can't just buy everything," Eren muttered, looking down, crossing his arms and starting to pout as his cheeks tinged red. He knew Levi knew he was wearing his shirt. Eren was so embarrassed, he didn't know what to do. If Levi could get it out of the sink, he'd know about the bracelet too. But Eren wouldn't let the bracelet be stuck in the drain for his pride; it was too important.

Levi glanced from Eren to Reiner and back again, not sure what exactly to say, caught off guard, but oddly satisfied to see the Omega in his shirt even if it didn't mean anything. And there was a vague tug at his memory, something that told him part of the story was wrong. There was a lie in it that he couldn't quite put his finger on. He supposed it didn't matter though, whatever it was, it made no difference in his ability to retrieve the item from the drain.

"Um sure. No big deal," he offered easily, already stepping forward to take a look.

Reiner nodded his head and yawned once more as he stood up straight. "Good... There, Eren, you can stop freaking out. I'm going back to sleep," said the large man as he stalked back into the bedroom and flopped onto Eren's bed, covering his head with a pillow.

Eren bit his lip and glared at Reiner, but then looked at Levi shyly. "You can really get it out?" he asked again, not meeting the man's eyes.

Levi looked back at Eren over his shoulder and quirked a half-grin at him. "Of course I can. Do me a favour though and get me a bucket or something so I don't make a mess," he answered, looking at Eren from under his lashes for a moment before he turned back to the sink and squatted down in front of it. He opened the cupboard and shifted things out from inside it so he could get access to the black PVC piping beneath the sink. He turned off the water and waited for Eren to retrieve what he'd asked for.

Eren bolted from the room and went to one of his empty guest bedrooms that he had finished painting and grabbed an empty paint bucket. He trotted back to the bathroom and placed the bucket on the ground in front of Levi. "Is this okay? I can go find something else?" Eren asked, hovering over Levi.

Levi pulled his head out from under the sink and reached for the bucket. "Nah, this is fine sweetness, just gimme a couple minutes, shouldn't take long," he assured, setting the bucket under the piping and gripping the riveted o-ring that separated the u-shaped PVC to the straight pipe leading up to the faucet drain. He grunted as he turned the ring in his grip, muscles flexing beneath his shirt.

After a moment or two, the ring gave and he unscrewed it before he repeated the process on the ring connecting to the other end of the u-pipe while excess water and gunk dribbled into the bucket. Once the pipe was disconnected, he turned it over and shook it over his hand above the bucket. There was a slight jingling sound before the mucked up bracelet fell into his palm. He blinked and blinked again. He let out a silent breathy chuckle. Grandmother's bracelet, huh...

He pulled back out from under the sink and offered the dirtied jewelry to Eren, a knowing look in his eyes, but he didn't say anything. Maybe the shirt **did** mean something... And the bracelet... For Eren to have gone so far as to have lied about whom he'd received it from; that definitely meant something. Eren wasn't as over him as he'd thought and the throbbing in his chest pulsed, gut fluttering. He stood a chance. “Here you go sweetness. Just needs a good rinse and it'll be good as new.”

Eren snatched the bracelet out of Levi's hand and held the dirty jewelry in his clenched fist to his chest. "Shut up," Eren hissed, "It's mine. I like it... So what if I kept it..."

Levi raised a dark brow at the hissed words, an amused curl to his mouth. "The shirt too?" He hummed, eyeing the Omega with interest from his place still crouched before the sink. "S'alright sweetness, I don't mind," he assured, tilting his head to the side, an endeared warmth in his expression and in his eyes.

Eren crossed his arms like he was trying to hide the shirt. "You didn't ask for it back... And I ran out of laundry," he lied, looking away with his face bright red with embarrassment, "If you want it back, I'll wash it and give it to you later..."

Levi shook his head in response to the excuses and the offer to return the article of clothing. "Nah, you can keep it. It looks better on you anyways," he replied, noticing the flush of embarrassment turning Eren's cheeks an endearing shade of rosy and his smile broadened. It was cute how the Omega was trying so hard to cover up what seemed so blatantly obvious to the Alpha. Even with his current Alpha in the other room, Eren was wearing Levi's pilfered shirt and had been distraught over the near loss of the cheap carnival prize that Levi had won for him what seemed like an eternity ago now and all it did was make hope soar inside the dark haired Alpha. Eren could deny it and lie all he liked, but Levi read him loud and clear. He didn't mind waiting or working for that second chance he had decided he'd beg for, but at least he now knew, there _was_ a chance at all.

He turned back to the piping and began reassembling it while he spoke further, "I'll bring one of those little drain filter parts tomorrow so you won't lose anything else in the future."

"'Kay," Eren said, fidgeting where he stood, still clutching the dirty bracelet. "No take-backsises. You said I could have the t-shirt so now it's mine," Eren said, raising his chin like he dared Levi to take back what he'd said. He darted around Levi to head to the kitchen and wash the bracelet off. Eren paused at the door though and said with a warm smile, "Thanks Levi. I think Reiner would have broken the sink," then continued on his way.

"Not a problem sweetness," Levi said as Eren made a hasty retreat, smiling to himself as he finished up under the sink, turning the water back on and pulling the bucket out. He washed his hands before he replaced everything back beneath the sink where it had been before, before he picked up the dirtied bucket and made his way out of the bathroom, a pleasant self-satisfied smile on his mouth as he passed the snoring blonde Alpha on Eren's bed. Reiner wasn't going to be sharing that bed for much longer if Levi had his way.

He carried the bucket with him as he came down the hall and glanced at the Omega vigourously washing the bracelet in the kitchen sink, chuckling under his breath as he went out the back door to rinse the bucket clean.

***

 

Eren straightened out his suit and fixed his hair as he danced nervously in front of the door. His entire house was spotless, except for the basement still under renovation. Eren couldn't really do anything about the smell of Alpha, but he figured it wouldn't hurt his chances for the interview. There was a loud knock at the door and Eren took a deep breath and opened it.

"Hello! I'm Eren, please come in," he said to the brown haired social worker that eyed him critically from his front step.

The woman stepped inside, looking around with scrutinizing interest. "It's pleasant to meet you Eren. I'm Ilse; I'll be your worker for the duration of the application process," she introduced in return, adjusting the leather briefcase in her hands as she followed the Omega through the house. "You have a lovely home here. I can't help, but to notice though, you seem to have acquired an Alpha. In the paperwork from the initial application, you stated you were single. Is it safe to assume that is no longer the case?"

"Um... Yes I am currently in a relationship, but with no plans to bond just yet," Eren said nervously hovering behind the woman as she walked through his house. He didn't think she was smelling Reiner, but if being in a relationship would work in his favour, he'd take it.

The woman nodded as she set her briefcase on the island top and moved around Eren's kitchen, peering in his cupboards and refrigerator and humming to herself at the lack of food to be found there. "That shouldn't affect your candidacy for being accepted, but I must say, you'll have to begin purchasing a lot more groceries than you currently have. I assume from the information in your application file that you work quite a few hours, so I can understand why you might be lacking some of the essentials. You plan to take time off for parental leave if you are accepted, yes?" She was over at the back doors, looking out into the backyard, noting the well maintained and properly enclosed yard, humming to herself once again.

"Yes, of course," Eren said, fretting over his empty kitchen. He should have went to get groceries before she arrived, but he hadn't thought of it. "I really want to have time to create an emotional connection with the child... It's very important to me that they feel safe and comfortable in my home with me and that won't be achieved if I'm working all the time," Eren rambled, trying to explain himself in a way that would allow her to understand.

Ilse looked at him as he answered, noticing his clear nervousness, but also the sincerity. It was clear that he very much wanted a child and was concerned about being inadequate to receive one. "You needn't be so nervous Eren, I can clearly see that you've gone to great lengths to make your home child appropriate and you obviously have chosen to adopt for the right reasons. We understand that nobody is perfect, so don't think that every criticism or suggestion I make is a failure on your part. I'm here to make certain any of the things you are unsure of or are lacking can be rectified before you receive a child," she said with a warm smile before she continued on, clicking open her briefcase to remove some documents and a little baggy of scent strips, pulling a couple from within and offering them to Eren, "As I'm sure you're aware, we match available children with potential parents through scent, so I will need you to utilize these strips in order for us to begin the process of finding you a match with one of our children. Do you have any specific requests in regard to age, gender or dynamic that we should take into account before we begin our search? I should say, infants are rather rare and most sought after when couples are adopting, so if you would prefer under two years of age, you may be waiting much longer for a match. The less restrictions we have in regards to your preferences, the more quickly we can help you start your family."

"Oh no!" Eren said, taking the scent strips, "I would much prefer an older child, that is able to talk and such. I want to be able to give a home to a child in need. Babies are adorable of course, but I think for me, anywhere from three and up would be perfect. I have no preference on gender or dynamic. Should I scent these right now? Or should I go over them after the interview with the paperwork?"

The social worker's pleasant smile broadened, "Usually, we wait until after, but I honestly don't think there is going to be any problem with your paperwork Eren, so you may do so now while I begin filling out the necessary information," she said, placing an empty baggy before him to place the scented strips in once he'd finished, his name and case number already labeled on the little plastic bag. She then pulled a pen out and clicked it idly, seating herself comfortably on one of the island stools to begin quickly filling in information. "Given the information that was received in the initial application, and from what I have observed here, I really can't see there being any reason for you to be denied. Sometimes, single Omegas are looked over because of that status, but that is usually because most are not in such a capable position as you appear to be. You are financially stable, have a clean and warm home and from what I can scent, genuinely want to give a child the home and family they deserve and that is what's most important, I think. I'll need you to fill out this basic health history and sign off consent for the matching process, allowing us to utilize your scent strips and contact your employer and references, all purely for legal reasons of course. Do you mind if I look around a bit more while you fill out these," she questioned idly as she placed several sheets in front of the Omega and set the pen on top of them.

"I don't mind," Eren said with a wide smile, giddy with her approval as he picked up the pen, his scent dripping with happiness. "You can look around as much as you like. The basement is under renovations, but they will be done soon. The guest bedrooms are also empty because I just painted them as well." Eren then turned his attention to the paperwork and begun filling out the papers with a giant smile on his face. His dream was coming true. He would be a mom! If the social worker wasn't here, he'd scream with excitement.

Ilse inclined her head and smiled before she stood up, brushing wrinkles out of her business clothes and wandered through the Omega's home, noting the renovations, overall cleanliness, multiple bathrooms and currently unfurnished rooms, one of which seemed to be painted for the child Eren was hoping for. She hummed as she moved about, looking at everything and anything, spending several long moments looking at photographs of family and friends hanging on Eren's walls. Everything appeared to be in order and the scent of the home on the whole was a pleasant one. The Omega scent was fairly strong, sweet and generally content, obviously owning the space, while the scent of Alpha seemed to have mingled and settled protectively around it. The scent was particularly strong in the basement and she figured the Alpha that Eren was seeing must be the one doing the renovations which seemed quite well-thought out and properly up to standard. Eren had said bonding wasn't too soon on the agenda, but she had a feeling it might be closer than he thought. If the dominant, but safe scent of the Alpha was any indication, Eren had certainly gotten lucky to find such a potential mate. It was certainly refreshing.

Once she'd finished her walk around, she returned to the kitchen, jotting down a few more notes about his home and her observations. "Well, Eren, I think we're about done here if you're finished filling those out and scenting those strips. I can't say with complete certainty, but I'm confident that there will be no issue in moving your application right along. There's no real reason that I can see for you to be rejected," she said as she packed away some of her papers back into the briefcase.

"Thank you so much," Eren said, almost bouncing where he stood, trying to contain his excitement. "I'll try and be patient while the paperwork is processed," he said as he walked the woman to the front door, "If you have any other questions or need to see my home again, don't hesitate to call. I want to comply with all of your standards to see this process through."

Ilse stood on his front stoop, settling one hand on his shoulder in a warm gesture, "Oh certainly we will. And as soon as we've processed everything, you'll receive a confirmation in the mail, that way you can make arrangements with your employer. As soon as a match has been made, things move very quickly so you should certainly be prepared as soon as possible after you receive that confirmation. You have my business card if you have any questions or concerns," she paused, leaning forward a bit, "Piece of advice though, that Alpha you haven't quite decided to bond yet, you might want to keep a hold of him. You don't find one like that everyday." She winked at him as she pulled away and stepped down the stairs. "You have a wonderful day Eren and I'm certain you'll be hearing from us soon," she said in parting before she was sauntering away to her vehicle.

Eren smiled widely at the woman, until she mentioned his Alpha. She must be talking about Levi because that's the only Alpha whose scent was heavy in the house. He sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Too late lady,” he muttered as he closed the front door, “I already let him go…”

He turned on his heel to go grab his cell and change into a white t-shirt and grey sweats. He needed to update his mom on how the interview had went and text Reiner about their plans for the night. Eren knew the Alpha was coming over this evening, but he didn't know what they were doing.

He sent a text to Reiner then dialed his mom. “Hey mom! The interview went amazing,” he squealed into the phone when she picked up.

They talked for hours about the process and what else Eren should do to get ready for his new baby. He didn't even notice it get dark outside or hear Reiner walk through the front door. “Mom I gotta go, Reiner is here. See you on Friday! Love you!” he said then hung up, looking to his boyfriend. “Hey babe," Eren called with a smile, sitting up from where he was laying on the couch.

Reiner grinned as he came inside, holding up a movie rental in his hand, shaking it a bit, "Hey baby, thought we could watch a movie tonight. Sound good to you?" He said by way of greeting.

"Oh wow," Eren said with a sheepish smile, thinking it was cute that Reiner went all the way to a movie rental place just to get a movie for them to watch. "I haven't rented a movie in ages... I usually just watch shit on Netflix. What's it called?" he asked, wondering what it could be if it wasn't on Netflix.

Reiner gave the Omega a coy look, "Oh it's a surprise," he said, a mischievous glint in his blue eyes. "You want to watch it right now? I already had dinner with my client, but I can wait if you want to make a salad."

"I already ate," Eren said, waving Reiner towards him, but his brows furrowed with suspicion, "It better not be scary... You know I can't stand horror movies..."

The Alpha shook his head, dawning an innocent expression. "Nah babe, it's a good one, trust me," he assured even though it was a total lie. He'd rented exactly that. It would be fun to get the Omega all riled up and then comfort him. To play his hero once he'd been freaked out from the movie. Plus, seeing him jump would probably be entertaining and really it wasn't real anyway; it was just a made up story in a movie.

He sidled over to put the disc in the player and grabbed the remotes, turning on the TV and blu-ray once he'd sat down on the couch, opening his arms in invitation for the Omega to cuddle up to him which was rare, so he was sure Eren would accept.

Eren crawled over to the man with a wide smile, settling comfortably in his arms and throwing his legs into Reiner's lap. He nuzzled into the man's neck, scenting himself since the Alpha opened up the opportunity. "This is nice," Eren breathed, kissing the man on the scent gland, "I hope it's a make out movie. I've had such a good day and it'll be nice to spend the rest of it with my Alpha." Eren was almost giddy with joy, his scent filled with happiness, wondering when he should tell Reiner about the adoption.

The Alpha hummed, petting the pretty brunette with one large hand and drawing him against his chest further, not bothering to ask what had put Eren in such a good mood. It didn't matter; he hadn't been involved so he hardly cared to know what Eren did in his spare time at home. He just hoped it was productive. It seemed to be since the place was immaculately clean.

He held Eren tighter as he skipped the previews until it hit the menu screen and he hit play before anything could really be given away. He set the remotes on his other side as far from the Omega as possible and reached to turn off the lamp, before settling in. "Ready baby?"

"Yup," Eren cheered, snuggling in and resting his chin on Reiner's broad chest. As the beginning of the movie played, it sort of had this eerie atmosphere, along with the unsettling music and Eren was starting to get upset. "Are you _sure_ this isn't a horror movie, Reiner? This seems kind of creepy... I don't like it," Eren said, biting his lip and feeling his skin crawl.

Reiner half smirked, "It might be a _little_ scary, but I'm here. You don't have to worry baby. This is one of my favourite movies. I haven't watched it in so long," he said in a wheedling tone, holding Eren a little tighter to him and sliding his hand onto the Omega's side, preparing for the first jump scare.

Eren lifted his head to look at the Alpha in shock. "What do you mean it's a little scary? I don't want to watch anything that's scary at all!" he argued, his voice rising in pitch. "Turn it off! Let's watch something else!" he begged, trying to reach across Reiner to grab the remote. The Alpha just held him in place. "Reiner, stop- Jesus fucking Christ," Eren screamed as the first jump scare played on the screen. His heart was hammering in his chest and he pleaded, "Please... I don't like horror movies... I don't want to watch it!"

Reiner gave him a squeeze and chuckled. "There's nothing to even be scared of baby. Just close your eyes if you don't wanna see. I'll tell you when it's safe to look again," he said, shifting to better hold the Omega.

"I really really really don't want to watch this," Eren said, anxiety in his voice and in his scent. When Reiner didn't answer him, he closed his eyes and tried to not listen to the screams from the movie. He was in a cold sweat, and he could feel himself shaking. Eren could not stand horror movies; they really freaked him out.

Reiner glanced at the other male, scenting his irrational anxiety and finding his scrunched expression and tightly shut gaze to be entirely amusing. He leaned over and murmured in a teasing lilt, "One, two, Freddie's comin' for you..."

"Stop it!" Eren screamed, trying to push Reiner away and escape his hold, but the Alpha held him in a vice like grip. "This isn't funny! You need to stop! You're freaking me out," Eren yelled, still trying to worm his way free.

"Come on, settle down baby. It's nothing to get your panties in a bunch over. It's just a movie. The blood's not even real," the Alpha chastised, "Look," he continued, chuckling at the violent and gory scene, shaking his head at the girl's over dramatic screeching on the screen.

"No, no, no, no, no, no, NO!" Eren screeched, thrashing violently as blood spattered across the screen and another character died. He managed to kick his way out of Reiner's arms to fall to the floor, immediately bolting to the TV to turn it off. He stood there for a moment shaking and trying to calm down as his heart beat painfully in his chest. Soon enough, rage boiled past the fear and he ejected the disk and stormed to the coffee table to put it away. 'Nightmare on Elm Street," the cover said. Eren was seething.

"Why would you do that to me?!" Eren yelled at Reiner, eyes blazing with anger, "You know I hate horror movies! You know that! You ruined my whole fucking day! What is wrong with you?"

Reiner sat up and looked at the irate Omega with amusement. "Come on... Your reactions are priceless. And you're cute when you're all upset. It's just a movie. It's not like it's **real** or something," he said, tone teasing as he stared at his fuming boyfriend, finding the overreaction entirely humorous. "You're being ridiculous."

Eren whipped the DVD at Reiner, narrowly avoiding his face as he ducked out of the way. "Take your stupid movie and get the fuck out of my house. I can't even look at you, I'm so pissed off," Eren yelled, pointing towards the door.

The Alpha scoffed and stood up to retrieve the movie, "Don't be such a bitch. It was just a joke. I thought you could take a joke." He looked over the DVD to be sure it hadn't been damaged as if he even cared, all the while ignoring Eren's angry demand.

"If you don't get the fuck out right now, I swear to god this will be the end of us," Eren yelled, his scent furious and unpleasant in the air, almost ready to hiss at Reiner. When he still ignored Eren's request, the Omega screeched at the top of his lungs and stomped his feet, "GET OUT, GET OUT, _GET OUT_!", throwing a tantrum like a toddler.

The Alpha winced at the pitch of the Omega's voice. "Fuck alright, but don't call me later when you're sorry, 'cause I'm not gonna come back tonight, throwing a tantrum like a fucking baby," he griped, irritation colouring his deep voice, knowing that Eren would likely do exactly that. After most of their fights when Reiner left, the Omega would call and beg him to come back, apologizing for his unacceptable behaviour. He seriously doubted this one would be any different, but he wasn't going to give in to him; Eren deserved a little punishment for his unacceptable outburst. He huffed as he stormed off to the door, slamming it behind him, the rumble of his lambo sounding seconds later before he peeled off.

"Fucking shit," Eren yelled, pacing in front of the couch then pausing to lean over and punch one of the cushions a few times, trying to release his anger. He was breathing heavily by the time he had worn himself out and stood up to stalk outside for a smoke. He had taken to smoking outside; Levi was right, he would ruin the house if he continued inside.

His hands were shaking as he flicked his lighter on, staring out into the dark yard. He took a couple deep inhales of the nicotine, but he still couldn't calm down, seeing things in the dark that rationally he knew weren't there, but couldn't convince himself.

At a noise from the street, Eren jumped a mile and bolted inside, slamming the back door shut and locking it. He immediately went to put out his cigarette in the kitchen sink and stood there for a moment. Eren knew he was being absolutely ridiculous, so maybe it was time for bed.

Eren checked all the windows and the doors to make sure the house was locked tight with the curtains drawn before he tucked himself into bed with all of the lights on. But no matter what he did, he couldn't fall asleep, jumping at every random noise, and seeing the movie play behind his eyelids every time he closed his eyes. Clenching his eyes shut, Eren willed himself just to go the fuck to sleep.

A sudden thought crossed his mind; what if Freddie was real and would haunt Eren's dreams now? He bolted upright, eyes wide as panic laced his body. Eren couldn't fucking be alone right now; he needed someone here with him and he needed them to be here right now.

Eren leaped for his cellphone on the nightstand, going through his contacts until he had Reiner's numbed, but paused.

"Shit," he hissed. There was no way he could call the alpha to come back. This was all Reiner's fault to begin with. "Shit fuck shit," Eren repeated. Who the hell could he call? There was only one answer to that question.

Dialing Levi's number, Eren whispered into the phone, "Pick up, pick up, pick up, pick up."


	21. Filling Gaps

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So this is the last update for today we think. There are more chapters finished, but we think you've been spoiled enough and its enough for you guys to feel better. Please no more abuse. Levi is written by xanderb (me) and I'm honestly feeling pretty rough after a lot of the comments. I put a lot of personal experience and feelings into this characterization and some of the comments were really upsetting and kinda hurtful. This fic is not meant to be some kind of fairytale and I'm sorry that some of you were disappointed. They will have a happy ending but it takes time to get there. Life is turbulent, love is painful and people are falliable. Levi and Eren are portrayed as true to life as possible in this according to teapot and my own life experiences. 
> 
> Anyways I hope everyone is at least content now with everything that's happened. Thank you for the support and comments from everyone who's stuck with us!

 

Levi jolted awake from his dozing state when there was a sharp buzzing and ringing from his night stand and he reached for his phone unconsciously, squinting in the dark at the bright screen, grumbling to himself as he ran his thumb over it to answer the call, figuring it was likely Krista who was staying over at a friend's place for the evening for a girl's night. He could barely see the blurry name and number anyways and the noise was too annoying to ignore.

"Hello?" he answered, voice rough and husky from having been nearly asleep for the night.

"Hi Levi hi," Eren greeted, his voice high-pitched and filled with urgency, "I... Um... You know you said I could call you if I needed you... Well I know this will sound crazy and irrational... But I really really need you right now or else Freddie Kruger is going to get me and I can't handle going out like that."

Levi blinked, sitting up and suddenly very much awake. He would have perhaps thought it was a prank or Eren was drunk or something if it weren't for the tone of his voice. The Omega sounded genuinely panicked and upset. Eren was scared. Levi made a soft, soothing humming sound over the line, "S'alright, what do you need sweetness? You want me to come over or something?" Even though he was asking and hadn't received a response yet, he was already getting out of bed and shimmying into a pair of loose sweats with his phone tucked between his ear and shoulder. He didn't even care to ask why Eren was calling him instead of his current Alpha.

"Could you? I'm so sorry Levi... I'm just really fucking freaking out... I really need you right now," Eren said, his voice shaking as tears began to spill from his eyes. Another creak sounded through the house and Eren squeaked, ducking under the blankets. "Please hurry!" he pleaded.

Levi's brow furrowed with concern; he could hear the tears trembling in the Omega's fearful tone. "I'll be there right away sweetness, just stay on the phone with me until I get there, okay? How about I tell you a story while you wait?" He offered as he maneuvered his grey t-shirt over his head, having some difficulty, but managing without setting the phone down or dropping it. He slipped on a thick, baggy black zip up sweater, zipping it as he made his way hastily down his loft steps. He picked his keys up from the little bowl on his counter along his way to the front door. He slipped his converse on, barefoot and not bothering to lace them.

"Okay," Eren said then sniffled, still panicking, but feeling a bit better now that he was listening to Levi's deep and calming voice.

"Okay," Levi agreed as he stepped out onto his front porch and locked his door, beginning the story as he got into his truck and started it up, putting his phone on speaker phone as he buckled up. "Once upon a time, there was a cowardly knight. He fell in love with a princess, the most beautiful princess he'd ever seen, with the most captivating eyes. But he was so cowardly that he was sure even though the princess seemed to return his feelings, he would never be brave enough for her, so instead he watched over her and loved her from afar," he paused to take a breath and wet his lips before he continued, impatiently waiting at a red light, "One day, she was taken by an evil ogre that wanted to keep her locked away like a little bird who could only sing for him. He starved her and made her feel small and reminded her that she was helpless and no one would come to save her, that she should fall in love with him and only him because only he could keep her safe in the cage he'd crafted for her. And the princess who was once fierce and brave herself began to believe him and lost the will to escape him and she wilted in the darkness and despair. The cowardly knight wanted nothing more than to save her, but he was so afraid that he wouldn't be strong enough or fast enough, or brave enough to rescue her. He pleaded with other knights and even the king, but no one would fight the evil ogre for him, claiming he could not be destroyed with the weapons of mere men for he was no man himself, but a monster. The knight thought it was hopeless and he almost gave up, but when he was at his lowest and so distraught over his own cowardice that he cried for the breaking of his own heart, a fairy appeared. She offered him an enchanted sword and shield to help him beat the ogre and told him that the rest was up to him. He had to be brave enough to use the weapons she had bestowed on him because though she was a fairy and therefore magical, there was no spell to make a man brave. Courage came from the heart and if he loved the princess, his courage would be there if he only searched inside himself." He paused again, turning onto the Omega's street, cursing mentally as he caught another red light, "How you doing sweetness? I'm almost there."

"I'm scared Levi," Eren said, getting up out of bed and walking to the front door to pace as he waited for Levi, "Are you almost here?"

"Yeah, sweetness, I'm at the light just down the street. I'll be there in just a minute," he assured, drumming his fingers on the steering wheel impatiently as the light took an eternity to turn and he was seriously tempted to just run it, given the desperation in the Omega's voice. His heart was racing and he felt restless. He needed to get to Eren right the fuck now. "The light just changed, do I need to let myself into your house?" He asked as he practically floored it the last two blocks to get to Eren's house and pulled into the driveway next to the Omega's car in seconds.

"No, I'm right here," Eren said, hanging up and unlocking the door to throw it open. He waited for Levi to get out of his truck and up the front step then flung himself at the Alpha, clinging to him like a koala bear. "I'm so fucking scared, Levi... This is why I don't fucking watch horror movies," he said, tears streaming down his face as he nuzzled into the man's neck for comfort.

Levi managed to catch the Omega that was so much lighter than he remembered, but he couldn't focus on the difference with the scent of distress and fear rolling off the other male. He crooned low and husky in his chest, tilting his head to allow Eren to press his face into his throat as he liked, carrying him back inside and shutting the door behind him. He wrapped an arm under Eren's backside and the other around his back to keep a steady hold on him as he toed off his shoes before he took him into the living room and sat back on the couch. "Shh, sweetness, it's alright now. I got you. Why did you watch a scary movie in the first place?" he said soothingly, his scent enveloping Eren with comfort and protection and he rubbed his hands over the Omega's back in gentle circles.

Eren continued to rub his face on Levi's scent gland, effectively marking himself over Reiner's previous mark. "My fucking asshole of a boyfriend tricked me into watching some movie about a guy named Freddie Kruger that fucking kills people in their goddamn dreams, so now I can't fucking sleep and god I'm so scared... When I realized we were watching a horror movie, I freaked out, but he held me down so now I've got these horrible images in my head," Eren ranted, not removing himself from Levi's neck. "I don't watch horror movies. Ever. I can't fucking separate the fiction from the reality... I know I can't.., That's why I avoid them... I already told him this... I don't know why he did this to me," Eren said then started to sniffle and cry harder, "So I told him to get the fuck out... And I knew I couldn't ask him to come back... Thank you so much for coming I don't know what I would have done..."

Levi fought down the growl that threatened to crawl up his throat in response to the information, not surprised, but certainly no less angry for it, but he didn't say anything about it. He grit his teeth for a moment, willing his scent to remain soothing and protective, refusing to voice his anger for now. It was more important to make the Omega feel safe and comfortable again. What a fucking asshole the blonde Alpha was... What kind of sick power trip was this? Eren was fucking terrified.

"Hey, it's not a problem at all sweetness. I don't mind, really," he said, tone still soft, husky and smooth, reassuring as he used one hand to pet Eren's hair. "I know the villain you're talking about. He's afraid of fire, you know? Maybe we should light some candles or something, hm, just in case. And you know, I'd never let anything happen to you." He nuzzled back against Eren in an innocent, but affectionate gesture, perfectly pleased to cover Eren in his scent, especially if it would calm the other male down, not minding the dampness of Eren's tears soaking into his clothing and wetting his skin.

“Yeah... In a minute... Just stay with me... I just need to hold on to you... I'm safe in your arms," Eren said, his body completely wrapped around Levi in a tight embrace. There would be no way to get the Omega off of him.

Levi wrapped his arms around Eren and hugged him tightly. "Always sweetness. Shh, no more tears now. I got you and I'm not going anywhere," he assured, crooning more, the husky sounds thrumming in his chest to soothe the Omega and he just held him.

There was no way he could let this shit between Eren and Reiner go on any longer. He had to get Eren away from the other Alpha. It was ridiculous that he was here comforting the Omega that should be his, but wasn't, instead of the Alpha that boasted ownership of him. He wasn't good enough for Eren, was undeserving and maybe Levi wasn't good enough either, but he was definitely better than the arrogant blonde prick. He wouldn't say anything about it tonight, but in the morning when Eren was feeling better and had gotten some rest, he would tell him. Enough was enough. It was time for Reiner to go.

Eren cried into Levi's neck, soaking the man with his tears as he was held, shaking from fear. "This is... This is so stupid... It's just a stupid movie... I know that... I'm just so s-scared... So goddamn scared... I can't calm down... Can you scruff m-me?" Eren asked, tired of being in a panicked state. It was a very intimate gesture to ask to be scruffed; it meant the Omega trusted the Alpha wholly. Usually it only happened between couples. But Eren figured Levi had scruffed him before, even if it was when they were dating.

"Shh, shh, it's alright sweetness," the Alpha murmured as he slipped one hand up to Eren's nape to scruff him firmly as the Omega had requested. Eren was so fucking upset and Levi hadn't seen him in such a state since that one odd time when they'd first started dating; it was incredibly distressing, especially considering they were no longer intimate as they had been then. He kept up a steady crooning hum and massaged at the Omega's nape soothingly as he just held him for long moments, trying not to consider how his heart beat heavily in his chest and the aching throbbed with pressure. He was sorry, so fucking sorry he'd ever let him go. This would not be happening if Levi had just kept him.

As Levi applied pressure to Eren's nape, the Omega slowly relaxed until he was boneless in Levi's arms; his shaking and sobs quieted to sniffles. An Omegan whine sounded high from Eren's throat as he unknowingly bared his throat to the Alpha. "Thanks," Eren finally breathed, his words slightly slurred as his head remained tilted, unconsciously mouthing over the man's scent gland. It was a natural response, although slightly inappropriate considering that they were only friends, but Eren lost himself to the comfort and protection that Levi was providing.

Levi's breath hitched at the feel of Eren's mouth over his scent gland and swallowed hard, forcefully quashing the immediate and entirely instinctive arousal that threatened to make itself known in his scent and elsewhere. He wet his lips and pressed his own face against Eren's bared throat, unable to resist the display, though he really should. It was dangerously close to being inappropriate. "Don't mention it sweetness," he murmured against the caramel column of Eren's neck, his voice huskier than it had been.

He managed to drag himself away after a few deep inhales of the Omega's sweetening scent. He had been successful in calming the other male and he couldn't help the swell of pride and rising of warm affection in his chest knowing he had managed to relax Eren when he'd been so afraid even though he wasn't his Alpha. It felt like he was and... He **wanted** to be. He pushed down the desire along with the admission that nearly whispered from his mouth. This wasn't about him; right now, it was about Eren and that was all it would be about for now. Eren had been neglected too long already. Levi could wait.

"You ready to go to bed now sweetness? I'll tuck you in," he offered, running his hands up and down Eren's back in an unconscious soothing motion.

"Mm," Eren hummed, sitting back to look at Levi with glazed eyes, and tear stains drying on his cheeks. "Yeah okay... Can you light some candles in my room to scare Freddie? I think there are some in the kitchen," he said, not removing himself from Levi's lap. He fully expected the Alpha to carry him to bed.

Levi smiled gently and nodded. "'Course sweetness," he agreed immediately, bringing his hands up to frame Eren's face and thumbing away the remnants of his tears before he slipped them back around him, adjusting his grip on the Omega so he could lift him up seconds later. He carried Eren to is bedroom and tenderly laid him on his bed, one hand brushing back stray strands of chestnut from his face as he leaned back and straightened his posture. "I'll be right back," he said, before he hastily went to retrieve the candles and the lighter that Eren had left carelessly on his counter next to a nearly crushed pack of cigarettes. The Alpha didn't even have time to be disappointed, more concerned with returning to Eren as quickly as possible.

Once he was back in the bedroom, he set a couple candles up on the dresser, lighting them before he set some on the nightstand and lit them quickly as well. "How's that sweetness?"

"Okay," Eren said with a small smile, feeling a lot better and more relaxed. But there was still something nagging at the back of his mind. "Hey um... Could you go through and check the house? Make sure all the doors and windows are still locked? I already did, but... I'd feel better if you did too," Eren said, nerves in his voice like he was begging Levi to do this for him.

Levi nodded. "Sure, I can do that," he affirmed before he went to do just that before returning several minutes later.

He smiled warmly at the Omega and moved to tuck the blankets around him. "Everything's all locked up sweetness. You're safe. Get some rest now," he said in a soft, coaxing tone.

“Will you be okay on the couch? I'm sorry for making you come here so late,” Eren apologized, biting his lip, but he couldn't bring himself to say that Levi could leave; he was too scared.

Levi ran his hand through his hair and to the back of his neck and he shook his head. "It's fine sweetness. Close your eyes. You know where I'll be if you need me," he said quietly, reaching out to brush his knuckles lightly along Eren's jaw, looking down at him for several drawn out seconds before he turned to leave, perfectly content to spend the night on Eren's sofa even though he would have liked to keep Eren in his arms through the night.

"Night," Eren said, snuggling down into his covers as Levi left the room. He had worn himself out from his panic and soon enough, his eyes drooped as he watched the candles on his nightstand flickering. He fell into a restless sleep filled with images of mangled bodies and a creepy burned man with knives for fingers chasing him through a boiler room.

When the man finally caught him, Eren woke up, screaming bloody murder and thrashing in his bed, tears of fear already falling down his face.

Levi shot up from the couch in a near panic in response to the sudden wailing and the overwhelming scent of distress that suddenly filtered through the otherwise silent house. He was in Eren's doorway before his mind had even caught up with his instincts. His heart was pounding, adrenaline slowly ebbing as realization set in. The Omega had had a nightmare and woken panicking and terrified again. Levi took slow steps into the room, shirtless since he'd dressed down for sleeping, but still in his sweats. He started crooning again as he approached Eren, reaching out to thumb away his tears when he was close enough. "Eren, shh, it's alright. It was just a bad dream sweetness," he cooed huskily.

Eren threw his head back and wailed even louder. "I'm dead! I died! I'm dead... He got me," he cried, sobbing and shaking as the remnants of his dream flickered through his mind. It was terrifying and Eren didn't know what to do, he was so frightened. It had been so real. His heart felt like it would beat out of his chest or stop from fear.

Levi made another low sound, seating himself on the edge of the bed and tugging Eren against him without much thought, pressing the Omega's face to his neck, his scent rising strong and protective in the air, safe.

"Shh, it's not real sweetness. You're not dead. He didn't come for you. Feel me, I'm real. I got you," he murmured in assurance, the fingers he'd threaded into the soft strands of hair at Eren's nape rubbing in firm and soothing circles.

"I'm s-so fucking s-scared," Eren wailed, clutching onto Levi's arm with a death grip as he rubbed his face aggressively into Levi's neck. "W-Why do people w-watch that shit... So fucked up." He crawled out from under the blankets to climb into Levi's arms, clinging to the Alpha like he would never let go.

"Some people like to be scared," Levi answered, wrapping himself around the Omega and shifting further onto the bed. It'd be better to stay. If he stayed, maybe Eren would get some peace and be able to sleep again.

"Sweetness, if you want me to stay, I will," he offered, running one hand up and down the other male's spine.

Eren's breath hitched at the offer, and he stilled for a moment, considering it. "W-wouldn't that be weird? I-I'm s-sorry... I k-know this is ridiculous," Eren spluttered, his concern about making Levi uncomfortable evident in his scent.

Levi inhaled a deep breath, the embedded worry and current of anxiety prominent in the Omega's scent. "I wasn't really asking sweetness. I don't think I can make myself leave when you're like this," he said as he leaned back into the excess of pillows strewn over the head of Eren's bed and cradled the Omega against him. "You don't need to keep apologizing. I understand Eren. I'm not upset or angry or annoyed; there's nothing for you to be sorry for. I'll stay; you're exhausted and so am I. Let's just sleep. I'll keep you safe," he assured quietly, tired mercury sincere in the flickering candlelight as he looked at Eren.

"W-Well... When you p-put it like that," Eren said shakily, fidgeting on top of Levi as he tried to get comfortable. His sobs were beginning to turn into hiccups as his panic settled down; soothed by the smell of Alpha and the feeling of strong arms surrounding him. Trying to distract himself and calm down enough to go back to sleep, he started drawing patterns on the smooth skin of Levi's chest. "You're skin is so soft for an A-Alpha... H-How come you don't tan even though you w-work in the sun all the t-time?" Eren asked, sniffling a few times as he tried to stop crying.

"Hmn, I use this moisturizing body wash so that my skin doesn't get dried out and rough, otherwise it chafes... It's got some sort of sun protection in it too, though I don't think I've ever really tanned. I'm just always pale," the Alpha replied, the words vibrating in his chest beneath Eren's fingertips. He carded his own fingers through the Omega's soft tangled hair, petting him in slow, rhythmic motions, his other arm comfortably wrapped around his waist, protective and comforting. "I do get a handful of freckles now and again. Dunno if you ever really noticed, they're tiny and light coloured, but they're there on my shoulders during the summer."

"Let’s s-see," Eren said, squirming his way up Levi's body to get to his shoulders, fully distracted from his panic now that something else had garnered his attention. "Oh yeah, you do," he said, looking closely at the skin on Levi's shoulder as he outlined patterns with the freckles. "I have freckles... But my skin is too dark to see them... I also have a ton of beauty marks," Eren said, sitting up slightly to lift his shirt. Sure enough, there was a splatter of beauty marks across his torso.

Levi hummed, lashes lowering over the warm, glimmering mercury of his eyes, a half smile curving the side of his lips, "I know sweetness, I used to count them sometimes when you were sleeping," he replied thoughtlessly, the familiarity of the comfortable atmosphere between them making it hard for him to remember that Eren wasn't his, "Did you know you have a trio of them on the backside of your left knee?"

"Huh? Really," Eren asked, brows furrowing as he sniffled. He let go of his shirt to lift the leg of his sweat pants and bend unnaturally to try and look. The Omega didn't even care that his body was probably poking into Levi as he moved on top of the Alpha. "I... Can't... See," Eren said through gritted teeth as he stretched, "Gotta... Up... My... Yoga... Routine..."

Levi grunted as bony limbs and hips pressed against him uncomfortably and he chuckled breathily as he watched Eren struggle to see the marks he'd mentioned. "Look in the mirror or something tomorrow. Come here and close your eyes. It's late sweetness," he said, reaching to tug the Omega back down out of the awkward position and back against him, pulling the blankets back over the both of them.

Eren whined in protest, but settled on top of Levi once again. "I'm... Kind of afraid of going back to sleep," Eren said quietly, looking up at Levi with wide eyes.

"It's alright, just close your eyes," the Alpha said, looking into the anxious eyes and settling his hands over Eren's back, one of them drawing the Omega's head down to rest comfortably on his chest over the steady beat of his heart. Once Eren complied, he began to hum a soft, husky tune, drawing idle patterns over Eren's back with his fingertips, hoping to lull him into sleep again while Levi closed his own eyes, the light in the room dimmer than it had been as the candles burned low.

Eren fought the drowsiness Levi invoked for a few minutes, but soon he relaxed fully against the Alpha and was beginning to drift off to sleep. "Night... Alpha," Eren breathed, before his breaths evened out and he dozed off.

"Sweet Dreams Omega," Levi sighed in return, continuing his lazy motions until he too fell asleep, unconsciously keeping Eren close to him and nuzzling the top of his head. It was so right like this.

***

Levi was slow in waking in the morning, warm and too comfortable to move, but there was something that was trying to pull him into coherency, some nagging familiarity that he should be concerned about. He shifted and tightened his grip on his bed partner, burying his nose in the crown of soft hair beneath his chin stubbornly. Inhaling the soft coconut vanilla scent that was overlaid and mingling with his own made him hum pleasantly until realization came crashing over him. Eren...

It took several stiff moments for him to recall why and how he had come to be in the Omega's bed and what they had done there. Once he did, he relaxed again; maybe it wasn't as innocent as it could be, but it was nothing nefarious either. He didn't have to be ashamed or escape from the sheets like some criminal; he hadn't done anything wrong.

As the minutes ticked by, he stayed as he was, wrapped securely around the Omega and savouring the contact for as long as possible because it would be gone too soon and he'd be left missing it again, empty and hollow without him. He needed to keep it for as long as possible just so he could hold onto the memory while he waited for the chance to have him again. He didn't savour the thought of confronting Eren about Reiner, had a feeling in his gut that Eren _wasn't_ going to like what he had to say, but he didn't have a choice. It was time.

Eren woke up slowly, actually comfortable for once in an Alpha's arms. It had been so long. He stretched and fidgeted, mumbling grumpily to himself as he nuzzled the figure holding onto him. He was very comfortable, but he was also boiling.

Inhaling deeply, it wasn't the smell of chocolate and cherry he had become accustomed to, but a smell he didn't think he would get to scent up close again. Opening his eyes and squinting, he met the silver of Levi's and paused, frozen where he lay.

It took a couple moments to remember what happened last night, then he relaxed in the Alpha's arms. They were friends. This was not exactly normal, but it wasn't anything to get upset over.

"Good morning," Eren said with a smile and a yawn, not moving yet to leave Levi's warm embrace. They were friends; they could cuddle platonically. Right?

Levi shifted against Eren, trying not to think too deeply about the husky morning voice that the Omega greeted him with and at the same time, keep a hold of the other male without giving away the fact he didn't want to let him go.

"Morning sweetness, how are you feeling?" he rumbled in return, idly massaging at Eren's shoulders.

"Better than last night... I can't believe I was so ridiculous," Eren said as he cringed, remembering his panic filled night. He didn't know why he reacted to horror movies so terribly, and he wished he could control it, but he just couldn't. "Thanks for everything you did... You keep coming to my rescue," he said, giving Levi a sheepish half smile.

Levi blinked lazily and lulled his head on the pillow while he looked at Eren. "Don't even worry about it sweetness, think it's become a habit. Can't say I mind all that much really," he answered, returning the almost shy half smile with one of his own, reaching to brush his fingertips over Eren's cheek and tucking back some stray strands of silky hair behind his ear. "Well, since I'm here and all, you want breakfast?"

"Mm I don't really know if there's anything to make... I really need to go grocery shopping," Eren said, looking up to mentally go over what he had in his almost empty fridge. "There might be eggs... Not sure... I'll go check," he said, finally sitting up, albeit slowly, not wanting to leave the comfort and warmth of Levi's arms.

Levi hummed and gave the too slim hips an unconscious squeeze as Eren reluctantly sat up. After a few seconds lingering too long, the Alpha released his grip and sat up as well, tossing the covers back and swinging his legs over the edge of the bed. He pushed himself to his feet and stretched, the muscles in his back tensing and then relaxing when he dropped his arms back to his sides. "Mm, you got flour, baking powder and shit? I can make pancakes," he suggested, looking over his shoulder at the Omega, one hand scratching his firm belly idly.

"Not sure," said Eren as he got up and stretched himself, feeling several of his vertebrae crackle. Rubbing the back of his neck, he yawned once more and started to pad his way out of the bedroom down the hall and into the kitchen to start going through his pantry. It was pretty empty, but at the back were all the separate ingredients for pancakes when usually the Omega just bought pancake mix. "Score!" Eren exclaimed as he pulled them out and placed them on the counter then went to get the milk and eggs from the fridge. "Pancakes are a go," Eren called to Levi.

Levi made a quick stop in Eren's bathroom before he followed the Omega, detouring to retrieve his discarded shirt and sweater, pulling the tee on and hanging the zip up on the back of a stool as he came into the kitchen.

"Right on, must've been leftover from all the party baking you did before," he said with a smile and looked over the ingredients laid out on the counter a moment before he was taking out the cooking implements he'd need to make the meal, opening cupboards and drawers familiarly. "Gimme a couple minutes to whip some up, shouldn't take long sweetness, just make us some coffee or something while you wait," he suggested, washing his hands and drying them on a clean tea towel before beginning to make up the batter from memory of his mother's recipe.

"Yes sir," Eren said with a lazy salute then went to the Keurig to make two cups of coffee the way they each liked them. It almost felt like back when they were dating, but Eren pushed that thought down violently as he cringed and shook his head. Levi was only here to comfort him as a friend; the Alpha had no other intentions.

Levi hummed and swayed a bit to his own tune as he cooked and it didn't take so long for the smell of breakfast and fresh brewed coffee to fill the kitchen with warmth. Maybe fifteen minutes or so and the food was ready. Levi set two plates, stacked with pancakes on the island and sprinkled them with icing sugar since Eren didn't have syrup. Setting utensils with the plates, he glanced at the Omega and came around to sit on one the stools, "Dig in sweetness," he prompted as he took a sip of the coffee Eren had passed his way and made a sound of approval. He was stalling. He'd talk to him once they were finished eating. He didn't want to wreck Eren's seemingly good mood just yet.

Looking nervously at the pile of pancakes on his plate, Eren cut up tiny pieces and ate slowly, savouring each bite. He knew that pancakes were definitely not something he should be eating, but it would be rude to Levi to not eat them, especially after what the Alpha had done for him the night before. "These are delicious," Eren said with a smile after finishing one pancake, and moving small pieces of the second one around his plate.

Levi watched the brunette eat, eating his own breakfast at a slow rate, more interested in keeping an eye on Eren that was picking at his food like a bird. "Hey, you don't gotta do that in front of me. Just eat if you wanna eat Eren. I didn't cook them so that you could just look at and pine for them from afar," he said teasingly, but he was only half joking. He hated seeing him so hesitant; it was conditioned into him now and Levi wanted nothing more than to erase it. Reiner wasn't going to get to finish grooming the Omega if Levi had any say in the matter.

"I'm eating, I'm eating!" Eren said with exasperation, starting to actually eat the second pancake, gaining speed until he had eaten a third and fourth as well. He put his fork down and held his belly as he groaned, "Fuck, I'm full."

Levi chuckled, already finished his own and sipping his coffee as he watched Eren rub at his bloated belly. "At least you aren't starving. You always look happier when you're well-fed. I still don't understand why Reiner likes you to be hungry," he replied, eyeing Eren, the last statement a sort of testing of the waters. He couldn't put it off any longer. He had to say something before he lost his nerve and Eren forgave that piece of shit again.

"Well, he just doesn't want me to eat like a pig... He wants me to be delicate and small like an Omega should be," Eren said with a shrug like his Alpha's logic made sense. "I don't mind it really... You gotta make sacrifices to keep your partner happy. Of course, I want him to be attracted to me, so I eat a little less than I normally would."

Levi set his mug back on the counter and turned fully on his stool to face the Omega. He blew out a heavy breath, "That's just it Eren. He's trying to force you into a mold that isn't meant for you. You're not eating a _little_ less; you're practically anorexic and you don't even get to make your own choices in what to eat. You're not going to end up small and delicate, you're going to end up brittle and breakable," he said quietly, concern flickering in the silvery depths of his gaze, "If that's the sacrifice you're expected to make, what sacrifices is he making for you?"

Eren's eyes widened as his jaw dropped. What the fuck was this? An ambush? "He makes l-lots of sacrifices for me!" Eren spluttered, in complete denial, "He stays over every night 'cause I don't want to be alone, he lets me work long hours 'cause he knows I love my job. I'm not his ideal body type, but he's still dating me and he hasn't pressured me to get physical 'cause he respects my boundaries... He... He does lots of stuff!" Eren's brows furrowed together as he crossed his arms over his chest. Sure, he had some doubts about the Alpha, but Reiner didn't deserve such mean comments either.

Levi let out a cynical chuckle, "Is that what he tells you it is? That's not how he explained it to me," he said darkly, shaking his head a little, aware that Eren was already getting defensive, but it was too late to take any of it back and even if he wanted to, it needed to be said. Eren needed to hear it.

"What do you mean? What are you talking about," Eren said, irritation and frustration in his voice, his anger starting to rise. What right did Levi have to say any of this? No right at all!

Levi wet his lips and closed his eyes a moment, inhaling a deep breath through his nose and letting it out slowly before he answered, "He's letting you work for now until he bonds you which he plans to do when you spend your heat with him because you'll be out of your damn mind and let him. He's got big plans for you. He wants you to stay home, play Suzie homemaker and keep your mouth shut, look pretty and do as you're told. You've no idea the shit he's said to me Eren and I've kept quiet 'cause I thought you'd see it for yourself, but you're purposely excusing the behaviour, and I can't ignore it anymore. You aren't being loved Eren, you're being conditioned. It's abuse," the Alpha shifted in his seat, crossing his arms and preparing himself for the likely outburst and denial from the other male.

Eren bolted out of his seat, shaking with anger. "That's not true! You just don't know him like I do! You don't know him at all!" Eren yelled at Levi, beginning to pace back and forth in front of the island. Whipping his head around to glare at Levi, he hissed, "Reiner may not be the most considerate person, but he _loves me_... He puts up with all my shit... And at least I know if I plan to spend a heat with with him, he won't fucking _abandon_ me at the last second." He turned around and stomped a few paces away before he came back and yelled, "You're just jealous! You don't want me to be happy! You want me to be alone and miserable!"

Levi felt a twinge of guilt and his own hackles rose in defense and he really didn't want to fight with Eren, didn't want to tell his own truths to convince him because it was painful to relive, but his mother had warned him it was going to hurt. It would be worth it; Eren was worth it...

He tapped his fingers on the countertop and shifted his weight again. "Actually, it **is** true, you know how I know? Because I watched my father do the same shit to my mother for the first four years of my life and spent the following three waking up wondering if she would be dead because she'd finally escaped him. And he didn't even have to take responsibility because she is an Omega and she **chose** to break the bond herself," he paused to breathe, his skin feeling tense and too tight, but he wasn't finished. "I can't stand it... I can't watch you become her. You wanna know why I abandoned you? The biggest lie I've ever told in my entire life was when I told you that I was alright with letting you go, but I did it because I'm afraid of becoming that kind of Alpha, bonding you and wrecking you. I thought if I let you go, you would find someone better, but now I have to watch someone else ruining you. You aren't happy Eren. When you're with him, you're always sad, or angry, or you're **scared**. I've rescued you from him more times than I ever had to rescue you when we were together and you don't smile like you used to."

He paused again and looked at Eren, his brow furrowed and eyes fierce and vulnerable at the same time, "Believe me or don't, but answer this first, why do you feel safer with me than with the man you claim loves you?"

Eren stood in front of Levi, trembling with defensive rage as his face twisted into a pained and confused scowl. He opened his mouth many times to yell, or explain and refute Levi's claims, but he was having a hard time finding the words. How could he explain how weak he had become; how he needed Reiner for the comfort and the validation he provided? How he needed Reiner to get over Levi. How he would have never been able to talk to Levi at all if he hadn't had Reiner holding him up.

"You don't know anything," Eren finally whispered, "You fucking broke me Levi... Reiner picked up the pieces. He wanted me even though I was broken..." Eren closed his eyes shut tightly and finally said, "I think you should leave. I don't want to say shit I will regret while I'm angry. I know you're just trying to help... But you really don't know what you're talking about."

"You're wrong; he wanted you **because** you were broken. I've never been more sorry for anything and I know you're hurt; I know I did that. This is me taking responsibility. I'll go, but think about what I said the next time you're with him. Text me later or don't, I'll be around," he said before he moved towards the door, leaving his zip up behind, forgotten in his haste to retreat. He felt awful inside, dark and hurt, angry and guilty, so guilty...

Eren only opened his eyes when he heard the front door close. He felt like he wanted to cry, but his eyes were completely dry. It was as if the last few months had taken all of his tears; he just didn't have any left.

Eren sighed as he dry scrubbed his face. Everything was a fucking disaster and he didn't know how to fix it. He was upset with Reiner and now Levi and he felt like he couldn't win.

Eren immediately noticed that Levi had forgotten his sweater. He walked over to the stool and retrieved it, inhaling deeply from the fabric to scent the Alpha and calm himself down. Funny enough, the Omega had already forgiven Levi for overstepping his boundaries. The Alpha was just trying to help; although his opinion was unwanted. He threw the sweater on and zipped it up. Eren figured he might as well take comfort in what he could as he began to clean the kitchen and grabbed his cellphone to call his mom.

"Hey mom," he said, "You're still coming to visit right? No, I just had a rough night. I can't wait to see you..."

Levi went home and spent the day feeling over-emotional, irritated and anxious. He didn't receive any messages from Eren. He did talk to Krista, taking the time to fill her in on everything that had happened and feeling better for it in the end.

When he went to bed that night and sleep kept evading him, taunting him from the dim edges of his mind, he sent a message to Eren and it was alright if he didn't answer because maybe Levi could sleep once he'd at least sent his own.

**Levi:**  
_You're probably still angry with me. I'm still not sorry I said anything, though I'm sorry I had to. I just want to see you smile again. I'll see you tomorrow. I hope your dreams are sweet._


	22. Weed Whacking

 

The next morning, Levi was promptly on time and was in the basement working by the time he heard the unmistakable roar of Reiner's Lamborghini pull into Eren's driveway. He growled under his breath and maybe he used a little more force than necessary while he hooked up drains in the bathroom. The only solace he had was that he was at least there if anything were to happen. Eren could be as angry as he liked, could avoid him, but Levi would still rescue him whether he wanted to be rescued or not.

Eren was out for most of the morning grocery shopping and when he got back, Levi was already downstairs and busy working. The Omega had read the Alpha's text, but decided not to respond; they needed some space away from each other and he needed to focus on his mother's visit.

He emptied the groceries and started on the late lunch early dinner he'd be making for his mom’s visit. The Omega had his favourite cookbook out with a cute frilly blue apron on over a white knit dress as he put the beef roast in the oven. He then started to wash and cut up the fresh onions, potatoes, and carrots to be cooked with the roast later.

He barely looked up from his preparations when he heard Reiner pull into his driveway and walk in the front door. Eren had had no form of communication with the Alpha since the movie incident.

Reiner stepped into the kitchen and sidled up behind the Omega, wrapping his arms around him from behind and nosing behind his ear, "Hey baby, I'm sorry about the other day. I didn't mean to make you so upset... Mm, you look perfect like this," he hummed idly, hardly sorry for having scared the Omega the day before and assuming his forgiveness already. Eren always forgave him.

"Whatever," Eren growled, elbowing the man in the rib cage, "Get off, I'm working." He moved away from Reiner to go to the oven to check the roast, although he didn't need to, then went to a different part of the island to start on the batter for the Yorkshire pudding. "My mom's coming for a visit today. I'm making dinner especially for her if you want to join us," Eren said in a clipped but polite tone. There was no way he had already forgiven Reiner for the movie, and all the things that Levi said kept running through his head. Thinking about them, they made a lot of sense, and it pissed Eren off.

Reiner grunted when Eren's elbow made impact with his ribs, a scowl rising on his mouth, "Still upset then," he murmured under his breath, backing off of the Omega and watching him. "Yeah, I might as well stick around. Should probably meet my future mother in law," he answered, casually reaching to steal a carrot stick and crunching it loudly. "What time's she supposed to be here at?"

"Couple hours," Eren said, mixing the dry ingredients with the wet to make the batter. "She's hated all my boyfriends... I doubt you'll be any different," Eren said offhandedly, looking up to stare at Reiner with emotionless eyes, "Well, except Levi that is." Eren knew he was being a bitch, but Reiner deserved it, even if it did lead into a fight.

Reiner snorted, "What'd he do to gain her favour? Maybe I can pull it off too," he said arrogantly, not caring for the attitude the Omega was pulling with him, but refusing to acknowledge it, like he was dealing with a toddler throwing a tantrum. He wasn't about to grovel and beg for Eren's forgiveness. The Omega needed to learn to get over shit.

"I haven't the slightest clue," Eren said with a shrug, his demeanour ice cold. "You could go ask him if you like. He's downstairs working."

The blonde chuckled, "Nah, think I'll take my chances. If your mom's anything like you, I'll have no trouble handling her," he replied, stealing another couple carrots from the little pile on the counter. "Well, I'll leave you to it, the game's on," he excused as he turned to head out to the living room, flopping onto the sofa that smelled oddly strong of the other Alpha. He frowned and shook his head as he turned on the TV and popped another carrot into his mouth, ignoring the scent and spreading his own in place of it unconsciously while he sank into the cushions further and rested his feet on the coffee table, absorbing himself in the football game on the screen.

Eren continued to cook, completely ignoring the Alpha on his couch watching the football game way too loudly. He didn't join the man when there was a break in preparations; instead he chose to surf through the Internet on his iPad in the kitchen.

Soon enough, the food was ready, the smell of roast wafting through the house. As he was setting the table, there was a knock at the front door. He wiped his hands on his apron, smile finally gracing his face after a day of scowling and went to answer the door.

"Mom!" Eren squealed, hugging the woman on his front doorstep.

"Baby," Carla Jaeger said, wrapping her arms around the Omega and embracing him tightly before she pulled back to stare at him for a moment in shock. "D-Did you lose weight, sweetie?" she asked, trying to keep the bewilderment out of her voice as she pulled back to look Eren up and down.

"Um... A little... Anyway, I made dinner for you... And Reiner is here so you can meet him," Eren said with a sheepish smile.

"Of course," Carla said with a tight lipped smile. Eren had told her a lot about his new Alpha boyfriend and she could already tell she wouldn't like him. She stepped into the house and took off her shoes, wearing a pair of simple blue jeans that showed off her mature curves and a billowy black blouse with her hair in a half up, half down style.

Reiner heard the knock and the subsequent greetings between Eren and his mother, but he didn't immediately get up to go introduce himself, waiting for a commercial, figuring he might as well let the two Omegas gossip for a few moments or whatever the fuck it was they did when they caught up.

Levi came up the basement steps, boots thumping dully and he wiped his hands off on a rag, stilling and blinking when he came down the hall to find Carla and Eren lingering near the front door. Wonderful... He wet his lips and swallowed, steeling himself as he approached the two Omegas.

"Hey, I'm going to head out for the night Eren," he said before he looked at Carla and smiled a little nervously, rubbing one hand over the short buzzed back of his head awkwardly and tried to excuse himself, "It's been awhile, sorry I can't stay to catch up, but it's nice to see you Carla." He could see the knowing in her gaze and he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear what she might have to say.

"Oh no, Levi, you have to stay!" Carla pleaded, "Eren made quite a bit of food. We'd love to have you! You must be starving after working all day." Her eyes were begging the Alpha to stay, then she looked to Eren, "Right darling? What's one more?"

Eren smiled softly at his mom. He knew she liked Levi and he had actually made a ton of food. "Yeah, stay for dinner Levi. It'd be nice to have you," he said quietly with a shy smile, trying to extend an offer of peace to the man. Now that his mom was here, he was feeling generous.

Levi shifted his weight and sighed, "I guess if you really don't mind," he agreed, his smile turning a little more relaxed. Both Omegas seemed genuine in the offer and really, he _was_ starving and he could keep an eye on Eren. And it was nice to know he'd apparently been forgiven. He'd been worried...

Reiner chose that moment to make an appearance, leaning in the doorway from the living room to the front doorway, "What's everyone hanging out out here for?" he said with a broad smile, casting his gaze from one to the other and settling on the tall brunette woman that was so obviously Eren's mother. He stepped forward to offer her his hand, "You must be my future mother in law, I'm Reiner," he introduced, grinning as if what he'd said was charming and something to be proud of when in reality it was a statement of his future intentions.

Levi felt every muscle in his body tense and his jaw twitched as his teeth clenched when the blonde Alpha made his appearance. He had to forcibly hold back the immediate aggression and protectiveness that threatened to come out in his scent, crossing his arms tightly over his chest to keep himself from pulling both Omegas away and pushing them behind him to challenge the other Alpha. He hadn't seen the blonde in days and he couldn't even force himself to greet the other male, doubting his capacity to remain civil after what had happened with Eren.

Carla looked down at Reiner’s hand, looked at Eren, then begrudgingly shook it before she pulled her hand away hastily. "I'm Carla. I would prefer you to refer to me as Dr. Jaeger in the future. You will not be my son in law until Eren agrees to bond you," she said coolly, as Eren put his face in his hand in embarrassment. Of course his mother was going to make this evening as _delightful_ as possible.

"Mom," Eren said, his tone filled with warning, "How about we all sit down and eat before it gets cold. I'm sure you're all starving." He turned on his heel and walked into the dining room, beginning to take the food lids off of the steaming pots of food.

Reiner's eyes narrowed, but he didn't say anything, simply inclining his head before he went and sat down at the table. He eyed the food with pursed lips.

Levi pulled out Carla's chair for her before he took the seat next to her, "So how have you and Grisha been Carla?" He shot a smug little smirk in Reiner's direction. Seemed like his warning to the blonde about Eren's mother hadn't been just an empty threat. "Oh, before I forget," he pulled his wallet from his pocket and handed over a five dollar bill to the woman, ignoring the suspicious glare the blonde Alpha set on him.

"Thank you," Carla said, giving Levi a wink as she carefully folded the fiver and tucked it away in the pocket of her jeans. When she'd heard that Levi and Eren had broken up, she'd been so disappointed, but it seemed like Levi knew he'd fucked up. "We've been good, darling, missing our baby boy."

Carla stood up as Eren was about to serve dinner. "Eren, honey, you sit down. You look like you might faint. I'll serve us," she said with a large smile, taking the spoons out of Eren's hands as she pushed him to sit. Strategically, she served Eren first, filling her son's plate a mile high and smothering everything in gravy.

Eren stared wide eyed at his mother. "Mom, there's no way I can eat all this," he said incredulously, staring down at the mountain of food in front of him.

"I didn't raise no quitter," Carla said sternly, "You clear that plate boy, or else you'll hear from me." She shook the spoon she was holding for extra emphasis then continued to serve herself. "I think you boys are strong enough to get your own food," she said, sitting down and picking up her own fork. She would have served Levi, but there was no way in hell she would serve Reiner. Carla already thought he was an asshole.

Levi chuckled and moved to serve himself, leaving the other Alpha to look between Eren and his mother as if he expected Eren to do something and huffed when no one moved and he had to serve himself as well. Reiner didn't want to say anything in front of Eren's mother, but he cast covert disapproving looks at his Omega every chance he got. Levi pursed his lips to keep from smiling and instead focused on his food.

He hummed his approval, "Fuck sweetness, this is awesome," he rumbled out between mouthfuls. He was actually starving as he'd skipped lunch earlier, too anxious to go eat and leave Eren alone with Reiner in the house.

“Thank you,” Eren said brightly, a blush colouring his cheeks at the praise. He'd pulled out all the stops and used all of his favourite recipes to make this dinner. It made him super happy that everyone liked it.

“Of course it is! My boy is amazing,” Carla beamed, pride in her voice as she stared at Eren affectionately, “But Eren, if I don't see some more fork to mouth action, I will spoon feed you myself.” The look in her eye said she was being completely serious.

The warmth in her gaze faded as she turned to Reiner, “So, Reiner, tell me about yourself? What makes you think you're good enough for my perfect son? You've already lost points in my book for him losing so much weight under your watch. An Alpha needs to make sure their Omega is eating,” she said, raising her fork to jab along with her words for emphasis.

Levi smiled around another forkful of food in response to Carla's words and had to fight not to chuckle when she addressed Reiner again in a none too friendly tone. He didn't comment though, simply smiling and keeping his thoughts to himself. Carla was going to eat the blonde Alpha alive. It was going to be funny to watch and he was never so glad to have been invited to stay for dinner.

Reiner leaned back in his chair and met the woman's gaze, "Oh, actually I think Eren looks great as he is. We've been dieting and working out together. I'm taking good care of him and I'm totally successful. Soon enough, he won't even need to work at all. He can just spend his time at home relaxing," the large male answered, crossing his arms over his chest confidently. Levi snorted quietly, but certainly loud enough for the woman seated next to him to hear.

Carla rolled her eyes and scoffed. "And here I was about to blame Eren for not taking care of himself when you are _directly_ responsible for my son being grossly underweight. Are you a doctor, hmm? Do you have any medical background at all to be saying what is healthy and what is not?" Carla asked, putting down her fork to glare at the Alpha across from her, her fury ready to be unleashed.

"Mom," Eren said, putting up his hands. "Calm down, we were- wait..." Eren said, brows furrowing as he turned to look at Reiner in confusion as he went over what was said in his head. "What do you mean I won't need to work? You know I love my job," he asked. Surely he had heard Reiner wrong.

"Well, yeah baby, you deserve to just lounge around at home, but we can talk about it later," the blonde dismissed with a placating smile before he turned his gaze back to Eren's mother.

"Actually Dr.Jaeger, I took a course on diet and fitness when I was in university, so I do have quite a bit of knowledge. There's nothing wrong with slimming down as he has. He's still just getting used to it," he stated, his gaze flickering to Levi when the dark-haired Alpha cleared his throat to cover up a chuckle. The blonde was just digging himself deeper and deeper into his grave.

Eren sat shocked at Reiner's admission. The Alpha wanted him to quit his job? The one he loved and had worked so hard to get? What the fuck?

"Oh yes... _One_ course in university definitely makes you a goddamn expert in nutrition," Carla said, her tone dripping with sarcasm as she picked up her fork again to stab at her food violently. "How the hell is he going to hold your children if he can't even hold himself up?" she questioned, narrowing her gaze on the Alpha.

Reiner actually laughed at Carla's response and Levi had to bite the inside of his cheek to hold back the offended growl he wanted to let out. "What children are those? I'm certainly not going to be getting him pregnant any time soon. I don't want kids anyway. They're messy and expensive. You know you spend approximately a million bucks a brat? That's just nuts to me. I could do a lot with that mil, you know what I mean?" he answered, completely dismissing and disregarding the scathing remark about his education and knowledge of health. Her opinion hardly mattered. Eren would do what he was told.

Eren's eyes widened even further and he placed a hand on his chest. "You... You don't want kids? Like... At all?" Eren asked Reiner, shock and pain evident on his face. He was planning on telling his boyfriend about the adoption in a couple of days. Reiner had never mentioned not wanting children. Didn't say anything when Eren gushed over babies when they were out on dates. So the Alpha wanted him to not only give up his dream job, but also wanted him to give up his dream of being a mother...

Carla looked from Eren back to Reiner, a smile spreading on her face maliciously as she watched the Alpha dig his own grave. There were two things you didn't fuck with when it came to Eren; his job and wanting to be a mom. Carla knew that and it was interesting to see Eren's vision of Reiner crumble right before her eyes.

Reiner raised a brow at Eren, "Well yeah, but I guess if you're like dead set on it or something, you could stay at home and raise one," he answered, shrugging one broad shoulder. He knew Eren liked children, fawned over babies like all Omegas, but he'd figured since Eren was infertile, he'd given up ever having children of his own; apparently, he'd been mistaken. But it was no matter, they could talk about it later when they were alone again, when Eren would be more willing to listen properly.

Levi shifted in his seat, acutely uncomfortable with the topic change, but it was no surprise to him. He, himself didn't know if he would be able to get that far with Eren if they did get back together, but if they did, he supposed he would have to consider it if they ended up bonded. It was already enough for him to be considering bonding at all for now. He wet his lips and leaned back in his seat, his plate cleared and he shifted his gaze between the three around the table. He could tell this was going to get heated soon enough and uncomfortable or not, there was no way he was leaving Eren and Carla to deal with Reiner on their own.

Carla snorted at Reiner's answer as she finished her plate as well. "It's alright Eren, there are plenty of other Alphas who would be thrilled to raise babies with you," she cooed at her son, noting the dejected look on his face. She would not let Eren be with this asshole any longer. She just needed to make him see how _wrong_ Reiner was for him.

Carla stood up and started covering the dishes, although Reiner wasn't finished his meal. "Hey Levi could you help me take the leftovers to the kitchen? I want to let Eren finish his plate."

The raven male stood up immediately, "Sure," he agreed, glancing at Eren a second, "Eat if you're hungry sweetness," he said, casting a threatening look at Reiner before he collected some of the other dishes and followed Carla out to the kitchen.

The blonde Alpha looked away with a huff, waiting until Eren and he were alone to hiss, "What the fuck is your mother's damage Eren?"

"I don't know!" Eren hissed, looking towards the kitchen to make sure Levi and Carla were out of earshot. "Maybe you shouldn't have brought up such major life choices like me quitting my job _before_ we've even talked about it yet... Which I am one hundred percent not on board with by the way," Eren, spit glaring daggers at his boyfriend, "We are nowhere near getting bonded, but you've already decided our whole life together? What the fuck?"

In the kitchen, as soon as they were out of hearing distance, Carla put down the food on the island to hiss at Levi, "What the fuck has that gorilla done to my baby?"

"What the fuck? Your mother's the one that brought it up and it's not like you have to quit tomorrow. Stop being a drama queen. I thought you wanted to bond. Isn't that why you broke up with short, dark and annoying?" Reiner replied haughtily, leaning forward towards the Omega, scent rising thick with dominance, demanding submission.

Levi sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. "I know... I'm working on it, I promise," he replied lowly, coming to stand close to the woman so that they wouldn't be overheard, "It gets a lot worse than that. I'm sorry I let it go so far."

“You have **no** idea why me and Levi broke up," Eren said through gritted teeth, "And I definitely don't want to get bonded to someone who doesn't give two shits what I want at all!" He didn't lean back from the threat, releasing his own scent in anger and protest. "Why the hell are you blaming me for what my mom said? I can't fucking control her!"

Carla looked at Levi with worry and skepticism. "It's worse than that? Oh my god... Look at how much weight he's lost... That Alpha's gonna make Eren give up everything he's ever wanted," Carla whispered in horror, bring up her perfectly manicured nails to bite.

Reiner growled, "Obviously not! But I see where you get your fucking bad habits from. It's not like I don't care what you want baby, but I know what's best for you. Stop being so damn difficult. What's wrong with you? You've been fucking disobedient since we went to the park. You been spending too much time with Levi and his girlfriend. They've been putting thoughts in your head," he said lowly, scent snapping with anger.

Levi's gaze darkened and he growled lowly, "No, he's not. I'm not going to let that happen. I'm already rescuing him, he just doesn't realize it. Your disapproval of Reiner is going to help. Thank fuck you came to visit. I already talked to him about it yesterday and I think it's working, you being here and saying something too is going to force Eren to rethink everything."

"Disobedient? What am I? A damn dog? Your slave? I'm your goddamn Omega! You should treat me with more respect!" Eren growled back, finally having had enough of Reiner and his attitude. He stood up, almost knocking over his chair and reached over to pick up Reiner's plate along with his own although neither were done and stomped into the kitchen. He saw his mother and Levi close together whispering, but he couldn't be bothered to care; he was so angry.

Eren threw the plates on the counter then stalked passed to go to his room and cool off. He couldn't go take a smoke with his mom here, since she would kill him for starting again, but he just needed a minute to himself to calm down.

Levi watched Eren storm off down the hallway before trading a look with Carla. She took off after Eren without another word to him

It was only seconds later that an entirely pissed off and rattled Reiner came into the kitchen and Levi was immediately on edge, moving to place himself in the path of the hallway that led where the two Omegas had gone. "You know, I think you should probably go," he said quietly, narrowed gaze watching the other Alpha intently.

Reiner stopped in his tracks and glared at Levi. "I'll go when I damn well feel like it. But I do need a fucking smoke after dealing with that shit," he almost yelled, turning around and stalking out the front door.

The Alpha stood outside, almost shaking with rage as he lit a cigarette and took deep angry puffs. Reiner really just wanted to punch something. How dare his Omega talk to him like that? Respect? "I'll show that little bitch fucking respect," he mumbled to himself as he flicked the ashes onto the front step carelessly.

Levi followed the other Alpha to the front porch, standing in the doorway and not missing the words, "I think you misunderstood. It wasn't really a suggestion. You need to get the fuck out of here before Carla comes looking for you. I don't think you'll like what she has to say about respect. It might be hard for you to follow since you don't seem to have any, " he warned lowly, a biting edge to his voice as his scent curled around him protective and threatening and he barred the other Alpha's way back inside.

"Yeah? Are you gonna make me leave you little spit fuck?" Reiner asked menacingly as he stepped forward to stare down at Levi, his scent strong and aggressive as it battled with Levi's for dominance. "That fucking old hag should be _thanking_ me. I'm the only one who could ever put up with a disgusting defective little cunt like Eren. He's absolutely fucking worthless without **me**." He grinned viciously down at Levi, daring him to make him leave.

The shorter Alpha's scent spiked dangerously, flaring with rage he'd kept at bay for far too long already. The words were too much. He snarled viciously, vision colouring in shades of red and before he knew it, he was tackling the other Alpha, sending them both tumbling off the narrow porch steps and rolling several feet on the lawn. The bigger they were, the harder they fell and the raven knew how to pin someone larger. Levi was on him immediately, one elbow braced beneath Reiner's jaw while Levi sat heavily on his sternum, knees unforgiving on the other Alpha's forearms. "Take it back you piece of shit. You don't deserve him... Give me a reason to make you bleed," he growled gutturally, his scent so strong and heavy with feral dominance and fearless in its ferocity, spreading out over the yard and crushing Reiner's. He wanted to tear the other Alpha apart. How dare he talk about Eren that way. How dare he talk about **Levi's** Omega that way...

Reiner snarled, his face feral as he used his weight to throw Levi to the side and reverse their positions. He leaned in close to Levi, breathing heavily as he looked down at the smaller Alpha. "Eren's a piece of shit and I'm gonna fuck all the disobedience out of him like the whore he is and there's not a damn thing you can do!" he hissed into Levi's face.

Levi growled viciously in response and managed to drive his elbow up under Reiner's chin with a crack, snapping the other Alpha's head back and he kneed him in the gut when the first impact staggered him. Reiner was bulky and weighed a metric tonne, but he was nowhere near as agile or as versed in fighting as Levi. Being so large meant that Reiner very rarely had to do more than look intimidating and challengers likely backed off whereas Levi had been underestimated too many times to count by Alphas like Reiner and he'd learned to use his own height and weight to his advantage.

Once he could get free of the other Alpha, he rolled to his feet, cracking his knuckles and balling his fingers into tight fists. "You're not going to get the chance. He's mine, always has been and I'm going to take him back. He was **never** yours and he's never going to be. I told you before, you're not Alpha enough for him."

Reiner pushed himself up to stand, rolling his head on his neck and popping his injured jaw. "Yeah fuck that. You lost him. He's gonna be _mine_ ," Reiner snarled, taking a couple steps towards Levi and throwing a wide right hook, putting all his force behind the punch to try and knock Levi out.

Levi ducked under the arcing punch and threw his own in the space beneath where the other Alpha's vulnerable kidney was located before he stepped back out of his reach. "Oh yeah? S'funny you should say that. Who do you think he called the other night to come keep him company? He slept soundly in my arms after you gave him fucking nightmares. And he didn't seem too eager to leave them in the morning either," he taunted, a malicious little smirk curling on pale lips while he shifted his weight predatorily.

Reiner roared incoherently in rage as he lunged forward viciously and managed to land a jab straight to Levi's nose, making it start to bleed and causing him to stumble back. "You fucking touched my Omega? I'll fucking kill you," Reiner screamed, trying to grab Levi to hold him down and wail on him.

The raven wiped the blood off his face on the back of his forearm carelessly, chuckling as he slipped away from the other Alpha's grasp, sidestepping the slower male and kicking out his ankle to send him down on one knee. "He **wanted** me too," he murmured from behind the other male, keeping his head far enough away to avoid getting cracked in the face by the back of Reiner's before he shoved him forward roughly. "He'll be done with you, but not with me, never with me."

Eren stayed planted in his bedroom, with a pillow over his head as his mother continuously knocked at the door to see if he was alright. He _was_ alright... He just needed to calm down.

When his mother's knocks became thunderous bangs, he sat up and stomped to the door.

"Mom, I seriously just want to be-" he started, but the rest of his words died as he saw the panicked look on her face.

"There's yelling and snarling coming from the front yard," she said, fear evident in her eyes as she led the way to the front door. They opened it to the sight of Levi and Reiner brawling on the front lawn, their scents thick with anger and aggression.

"Levi, Reiner, fucking stop!" Eren yelled, running forward even though his mom tried to hold him back. He just shook her off and flew down the front steps to get between the two Alphas. "What the fuck are you doing? You can't just beat the shit out of each other on my goddamn lawn!" Eren screamed.

Levi immediately placed himself between Eren and the blonde Alpha, "Stay back sweetness, I don't want you to get hurt," he said in a low and breathless tone, looking away for a second too long and earning himself a shot to the ribs from the other Alpha for his mistake. "Fucking son of a bitch!" he snarled and swung his own fist into Reiner's jaw with enough force to split his own knuckles and send the other male sprawling again.

This time, Reiner stayed down, groaning as the world spun above him.

Levi took a step forward, but was stopped by Eren pulling at his shirt. "Fucking stop it right now Levi! What the fuck!" Eren screamed, dragging him backwards and away from Reiner.

Levi growled and pulled away from Eren, turning away and pacing a few steps while running an adrenaline shaking and bloodied hand through his tangled hair. "He fucking deserved it for the shit he said," he defended, feeling defensive for being scolded. He hadn't done anything wrong.

"I don't need you to defend me!" Eren yelled, following Levi as he paced, already guessing what Reiner might've said to set Levi off. "I can take care of myself. He's a fucking lawyer, Levi! With a rich fucking family... I don't want you to go to fucking jail over my fucking honour or some shit. God damn it Levi! He could have hurt you!" he yelled as tears began to fall down his face, his scent full of anxiety and fear at the intimidating display.

Levi tossed his head, "You can't... And I can't listen to that shit and not do anything anymore Eren... I can't fucking help, but protect you. You mean too much to me," he answered in a husky and guttural near whisper, throat burning and raw from breathing heavily and being so fucking angry.

He stilled his pacing when the hitching of Eren's breath and the scent of salt rose with the mingling of anxiety and fear that was far too familiar these days and he looked at the Omega. He gritted his teeth, jaw twitching as he forced his own scent to level out into something less frightening, stuffing his anger and aggression down in order to soften the viciousness to protective and possessive; it was the best he could do and he reached out to maybe touch him, but hesitated.

"What do you mean I mean too much to you?" Eren suddenly screamed, snapping at the man's words. "What the fuck do you want from me? I've done everything you've wanted! I dated you without the possibility of bonding! I dumped you when you didn't want to date me anymore! I remained friends with you when you suggested it! I sucked it up when you started dating someone else almost immediately even though I wanted to fucking die! I fucking found another Alpha ‘cause you wanted me to. What the fuck do you want from me? What?" Eren wailed and stomped his feet, throwing his head back towards the sky in anger and frustration.

Levi growled out a heavy breath of frustration, "That's the fucking problem... I **never** stopped wanting you. The reason I took the out when you offered, the reason I fucking ran like a coward was because I want you too fucking much. I thought it would go away, but it fucking doesn't. It's there all the fucking time... If you'd found someone else that made you happy, someone that could give you everything you want, everything you deserve, it would have been fine... But this... No one deserves this Eren. I know I blew my chance and that's on me, but the least I can do is stop you from settling for someone who only hurts you. I want you to be able to smile again," he said and turned away again, unable to keep seeing the pain in the Omega and **not** touch him. Eren didn't want him to and so he wouldn't even if it hurt.

"That's such a bullshit excuse! I don't fucking believe you," Eren whispered, staring at Levi with disbelief before he turned on his heel to go to Reiner. He nudged the man in the ribs with his foot and the Alpha groaned. "Hey, assface! Can you stand?" he asked, bending forward to tug on the large man, using some force to pull him up and sling his arm over his shoulder. Carla quickly came down the step, having watched everything from the safety of the house, to help Reiner to his feet and drag him inside.

Eren looked back to where Levi was standing and said, "Just leave, Levi. I don't want you to be around when he wakes up to call the fucking cops on you. I'll call you when he leaves."

With that, Carla and Eren managed to drag the out of it Alpha up the steps and inside, slamming the front door behind them.

Levi hissed out a breath between his teeth. "Whatever," he growled, still defensive over the fact that he had somehow fucked up again. He spun on his heel and stormed to his truck, ignoring the throbbing in his split knuckles and bloodied nose and the twinging ache in bruised ribs. He got into his truck and slammed the door shut, turning over the engine and peeling out of the driveway. He didn't even know how he got home, couldn't remember later driving himself there. But he somehow ended up in his driveway with his keys clenched so tightly in his hand that his fingers went numb and he smashed his fist against the steering wheel.

"Fuck!" he screamed, feeling like his chest was caving in, slowly suffocating him. Of course when he was finally fucking honest, Eren didn't believe him.

At some point, Krista found him like that, head resting against the steering wheel, bruised and caked in dried blood and she coaxed him out of the truck and inside, cleaned and dressed his injuries and she didn't ask what had happened; she already knew...


	23. Rebuilding Bridges

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Trigger Warning:* Attempted non con and mild violence.

As soon as Eren and Carla dumped Reiner on the couch as he moaned and groaned, Eren went to his freezer and grabbed a bag of peas.

"Here... It should help with the swelling," Eren said with annoyance in his voice as he slapped the bag on Reiner's face. Eren was still very upset and anxious especially after his fight with Levi. He just wanted to go to bed.

The Alpha winced and groaned over-dramatically, though he raised a hand to adjust the bag of frozen vegetables against his smarting jaw and cheek. For such a little guy, Levi sure could throw a hell of a punch. He was just lucky Reiner had went easy on him...

He didn't move from where he was, simply sprawling over the sofa as if he was in too much pain and too exhausted to move, but in reality, he wanted to confront Eren. He should have known from the start that Levi would be a problem, should have told Eren to get rid of the Alpha from the get go. Now he would and he'd get what he wanted, just as soon as Carla was gone. It wasn't a conversation to be had in front of company. Plus, if he waited, Eren would be calmer and actually listen like he was supposed to.

Eren immediately went back to his mom who was fidgeting at the front door. "Eren... I know I wasn't going to stay the night, but after everything that happened..." Carla said, biting her lip, "Maybe I should stay?"

"No mom," Eren said with a strained smile, "I got it. If Reiner can't drive, I'll call him a taxi."

"Honey, seriously, it’s no problem for me to stay," Carla assured, putting her hand on Eren's shoulder.

"Just let me handle this alright? Me and Reiner need to talk anyway... And we need to do that without you here," Eren said, reaching forward to give Carla a hug, "I love you alright? Drive safe."

"Okay sweetie... I love you too," she agreed reluctantly, holding him for a minute before she went out the front door.

Eren stood for a few minutes, running his hand through his hair. How had everything gotten so fucked up?

It took several long minutes of grunting and groaning for Reiner to realize that Eren was not going to come and coddle him and he huffed angrily, pushing himself up from the couch with a grimace that was not intentional. He moved with exaggerated slowness to search out the Omega, mumbling and whining along the way, hand still holding the bag of peas to the side of his face.

"Babe? Do you have some pain killers?" he called without actually seeing Eren.

"Yeah," Eren called back, moving on autopilot to the kitchen to grab the pills and some water for Reiner. He felt numb and sad, but most of all he wanted Reiner gone from his house.

He walked to the living room and placed the pills in Reiner's large hand. "I only have Advil. Should help a bit," Eren said as he handed over the glass of water as well.

"Thanks babe," the blonde said, accepting the pills and tossing them back before he took the water and drained the entire glass, handing it back to the Omega and grabbing at Eren's wrist before he could escape him and he pulled the peas away from his swollen face and looked Eren in the eye. "Look, I'm sorry about earlier babe, let's talk about it tomorrow. I'll listen to whatever you have to say after I explain alright?"

Eren's eyes softened a fraction before he nodded his head in acknowledgement. "I'm tired. I want to go to bed. And I don't think you should drive," Eren said as he held Reiner's eye. "Should I call a taxi or should I make up the couch for you?"

"Couch is fine," the Alpha accepted though he hardly wanted to sleep on the sofa when he should be in Eren's bed, but he had to give the Omega some time to come around. He would; he always did.

Eren nodded his head again as he stepped away from the Alpha to grab a pillow and a blanket from the closet in the hall. He put them on the edge of the sofa and without even looking at Reiner he said, "Night," then went off to hide in his bedroom.

Eren stared at the ceiling for hours as sleep evaded him, thinking over everything that had happened, everything Levi and his mom had said, and everything Reiner had done. The Omega came to the conclusion that no matter what Reiner said, there was no way he could continue a relationship with the Alpha; they wanted different things and Eren was tired of trying to make this relationship work. It was time it came to an end.

Only when he finally made his decision was he able to fall asleep.

The next morning, Reiner was up early, having slept poorly on the couch and he was sore from the fight with the other Alpha the day before and he'd also made some decisions. Eren was going to be bonded to him today, that was all there was to it. Levi wasn't going to get the chance to steal him back. He'd already been putting thoughts into Eren's head and it was time Reiner stopped playing games.

With his mind made up, he had gotten up and actually made Eren breakfast which was actually from the closest coffee shop, but whatever; it was enough for an apology since he'd never done it before. He knocked softly on Eren's door with the coffee and pecan strudel set up on a little tray with an Iris from Eren's garden in a glass on the corner.

Eren woke with a start, sitting up on his elbow in the middle of the bed where he lay face down. He felt like he had just gotten to sleep as he looked around his room with bleary eyes and messed up hair. "What?" he growled, just loud enough for whoever it was to hear on the other side of the door.

"Baby, I got breakfast," Reiner answered as he let himself into the room, stopping a few steps from the bed and gesturing to the tray with a charming smile. "You hungry?"

Eren groaned. It was too early for this. "No," Eren growled, then flopped back down on his stomach and put a pillow over his head, fully intending to go back to sleep.

Reiner stepped closer and set the tray down on the nightstand closest to Eren before he sat on the edge of his bed that smelled vaguely like Levi and he had to force the growl down. Levi had said he'd spent the night, so the lingering scent meant he hadn't lied and the fact that Eren hadn't changed the sheets after only made him seethe further, but he managed to bottle it up for the moment, reminding himself repeatedly that it wouldn't matter soon enough.

He reached to massage Eren's shoulders with firm gentleness and leaned over the Omega to speak through the pillow, "I'm going to head home for a bit, get cleaned up and do some thinking, I'll come back tonight and we can talk. Eat and relax until I come back. I never meant for things to get so out of hand last night. You just make me so crazy sometimes. I just love you so much, sometimes I lose control."

Eren blindly grabbed at one of his extra pillows and whipped it in the direction he thought Reiner was. He missed completely, but his message was clear. Muffled under the pillow he said, "Go away... Let me sleep."

The large Alpha chuckled and got up, "Alright I'm going. I'll be back later," he said before he left the room and then the house altogether, returning home to clean himself up and take some more pain medication and survey the damage the little prick Alpha had done. There were some bruises and swelling as well as some scrapes from rolling around on the ground and he growled. His clothing was ruined from the night before and he was pissed off that Levi had even managed to land a hit on him. The short man sure had some nerve.

Once he was showered and dressed, he sat around watching a rerun of the game he'd ended up missing the end of the day before and planned out what he was going to do and say in order to get the Omega to do what he wanted. It was just passed seven o'clock in the evening by the time he made the trip back to Eren's house, figuring he'd given the other male more than enough time to cool off and think about being alone again. Eren should hopefully be anxious by now.

With Reiner gone, Eren had managed to sleep most of the day, even though when he got up he still felt exhausted. He had a long bath with a glass of wine as he contemplated how he was going to break up with Reiner. Eren knew it wouldn't be an easy conversation, but it had to be done.

He threw on Levi's giant green shirt, Levi's black sweater, and his own grey sweats, tying the cord tightly to keep them from falling off his hips, comfortable in the ensemble, using Levi’s scent to soothe himself as he sat and read a book on the couch until late in the evening when there was a knock on the front door. "Come in," he yelled, not bothering to get up from his comfy place on the couch. Eren was calm, cool, and collected, ready to face Reiner as the Alpha sauntered into his house.

Reiner came inside confidently, finding Eren in his living room with a book in his lap and wearing clothing that was so obviously not his that the Alpha was immediately on edge. He had a feeling just whose clothing it was and he was less than pleased to see his Omega wearing it.

"Whose sweater is that?" he asked though he hadn't meant to. He'd meant to do this differently, but the anger came back full force and heavy with possessiveness. Eren was his and this fucking pipsqueak just kept getting in his fucking way.

Eren raised his eyebrows in response to Reiner's sudden and potent aggression then looked down at what he was wearing. "Levi's," Eren said with a shrug, "It's comfy and you never let me borrow your clothes anyway."

Reiner scowled irately. "I think it's time you get a new contractor. Levi's obviously dangerous and he's clearly trying to get back in your pants. He's driving a wedge between us," he growled lowly, stalking closer to Eren, getting angrier the longer he looked at the Omega wearing the clothing that belonged to the other Alpha.

Eren scoffed. "Levi is **not** trying to get in my pants. He has a girlfriend. You've met her remember? The tiny adorable blonde?" he said sarcastically, rolling his eyes at Reiner. "You knew me and Levi were still friends when we started dating. I'm not getting a new contractor because you're feeling insecure."

Reiner scoffed, "I'm not fucking insecure. He basically told me yesterday... He's been sabotaging us from the beginning. Shoulda known he was no fucking good." He narrowed his eyes at Eren, nostrils flaring as a mingling of Eren's scent and the increasingly familiar sea salt citrus of Eren's supposed ex reached him, faded but there. Eren hadn't even washed the clothes... The Alpha had been fucking wearing them before the Omega put them on and it **burned** the brawny blonde. "Or maybe you want him too? Is that it?"

Eren just sighed as he ran a hand over his face. “I’m not agreeing with you, but yes I think that our relationship should probably end. And it has nothing to do with Levi,” Eren said bluntly, moving to set his book down and sit up to look at Reiner properly. “I realized last night that we both want entirely different things... And I’m tired of killing myself to be what you want. I’m not what you want, Reiner, I never will be.” He gave the man a sad smile at the admission. It hurt to say, but it was true.

The Alpha laughed. "I don't think so... I think you just need to be reminded. I've been holding back, but I think it's backfired. I want you and I'm going to have you," he said as he moved the last few steps to grab Eren by the wrists and yank him up. "I've been patient with you, but you're just so fucking stubborn," he continued, too angry to think clearly, thoughts clouded by possessive jealousy and the potent desire to force the Omega to submit to him. He didn't listen to anything, uncaring if his grip was bruising on Eren's wrists, "You say we want different things, but we don't. You want to be bonded, I want to bond you. Everything else... You'll learn to like it."

"Wha-" Eren managed to say before he was hoisted off the couch by his wrists. He squeaked, trying to get Reiner to let go as he dug in his heels and bent his body away from the Alpha. "What the fuck are you talking about? Let go of me," Eren said through gritted teeth as he tried to stay calm, struggling in Reiner's grip as he tried to pull away. His scent spiked full of anxiety in response to Reiner's aggressive and possessive stench rolling off of him in waves.

Reiner growled, tightened his grip on the bony wrists and yanked harder, forcing Eren to stumble forward and he tugged him along down the hallway to his bedroom. He pushed him down on the bed, pinning him beneath his superior weight and holding his arms roughly above his head. "I'm going to give you what you want. You've been begging for it. That's why you're wearing his clothes and you let him in your bed. You **wanted** me to get jealous. Hm, you want me to put a claim on you," he said lowly, eyes dark with aggressive lust and possession, high on power and unable to stop. He used his unoccupied hand to unzip the sweater Eren was wearing jerkily, pushing it aside and shoving Eren's over-sized shirt up so that he could get to his bottoms.

"No!” Eren yelled, kicking and squirming as he tried to push the man off of him. "Stop it! Fucking stop!" Eren screamed as Reiner began to remove his clothes. He managed to knee the man in the stomach and almost wiggled out of his grasp before Reiner pulled him back down again.

The Alpha snarled and pinned Eren again, pressing him down harder, using more of his weight until he heard the Omega's breath shallow beneath it. "I don't have to stop. You're an Omega and I'm an Alpha. It's nature. Just fucking close your eyes if you're scared. It'll be over soon," he gritted out as he reached to begin unbuckling his own belt, gaze flickering from the distraught Omega, "This is your own fault you know. You shouldn't have taunted me like that. You think he's better than me, that's fine, I'm going to make sure you can never be his again," he continued gutturally, breaths heavy and rapid as he loosened his belt and popped the button on his pants, not expecting it when the Omega bucked suddenly and managed to knee him in his half hard cock and he groaned, releasing the grip on Eren's wrists to cup the searing throb between his legs instead.

Eren immediately scrambled out from under the Alpha, kicking and elbowing as much of the man as he could then bolted to his bathroom, slamming the door shut and locking it. He was shaking with fear and adrenaline as he leaned against the door, trying to figure out what to do, but his mind was clouded by panic and he couldn't think straight.

With shaking hands, he checked his sweats pockets to find he still had his cellphone. That was one victory; he thought it might have fallen out when Reiner dragged him to the bedroom. He dialed 911 then paused. How quickly could the police get here? Would they get here in time to save Eren from a forced bonding? The Omega didn't think so. Instead, in his panic, he called the one person that had always come to his rescue; Levi.

Reiner recovered after several minutes and staggered to his feet to pound on the bathroom door, demanding Eren open it, only pausing when he heard the other male's muffled voice on the other side of the wood. Eren was fucking talking to **him**! He began his assault on the door once again, growling and snarling, jiggling the knob as if he could break it and get in. Maybe he could...

***

Levi had been in an awful mood since he'd come home the night before and it had only worsened throughout the day. He'd spent most of the day in bed, curled up and nursing his sore ribs. There were dark bruises on his side and beneath his eyes to either side of his nose and his knuckles were bandaged courtesy of his girlfriend whom had periodically come to see him throughout the day and bring him painkillers and food that he could hardly swallow with his sore throat, not that he had much of an appetite anyways.

It was just passed nine o'clock when his phone began to buzz and scream from his nightstand and he sat up, reaching for it blindly while Krista sat up as well, looking at him with wide eyes as he answered.

"Eren?! Are you-- Are you alright?" His brows were furrowed at the sound of sobbing and hitched breath when he connected the call, the panicked look on his face and spike in his scent made Krista nervous and she shifted worriedly in Levi's bed. Whatever Eren had called for, she knew it was bad.

"Levi!" Eren half screamed, half sobbed into the phone, "Reiner's trying to force a bond on me! I'm trapped in the fucking bathroom! What the fuck do I do?" Eren was breathing fast, almost hyperventilating as he looked around the bathroom as Reiner started to bang on the door. Maybe he could wiggle out the window?

"He's what?!" Levi snarled, whipping off the blankets and jumping up from his bed, yanking a pair of sweats on jerkily and Krista slipped from the bed as well, going to his dresser to gather a shirt and sweatshirt for him, offering the clothing to him silently and helping him maneuver them on one handed. "I'll fucking kill that son of a bitch. You got anything in there you can jam under the doorknob 'til I get there sweetness? If not, tie the cord from the hairdryer or something to the knob and to the cupboard, make sure it's tight. It'll slow him down if he manages to break the lock," he said, remembering some tricks he'd seen his mother use when he was a child. Krista followed him down the stairs as he took them two at a time, shaking as he searched for his keys, overlooking them in his haste and panic, silently thanking the petite blonde when she held them up for him.

"I'm leaving right now sweetness, just breathe, just breathe and do as I said. I'm coming for you. I'm not going to let him do that, I promise," he said in a calming tone though he was anything, but calm.

He put his fingers over the receiver a moment to speak rapidly to Krista as she moved to open the front door for him while he shoved his feet into his shoes carelessly. "I'm sorry, I have to go... I have to..."

"You don't have to say anything Levi, just go. We always knew we were just keeping each other company. It was always him. Just remember you owe me," Krista dismissed, looking at him with understanding in her crystal blue eyes and he blinked before he smiled and leaned to give her a swift and chaste peck on the cheek.

"You got it Honeybee, cash it in anytime," he said breathily and she waved him off.

"I'll hold you to it, now go save your princess," she answered, though he was already out the door and bolting off the porch to get into his truck, taking off seconds later, phone still pressed to his ear. She leaned in the doorway, watching his truck speed off and even after it had disappeared, a soft, sad and wistful smile on her lips. Levi'd never been hers and she'd never been his. He had his princess and she had her own knight. She just hoped hers would come to rescue her soon.

Eren hung on Levi's every word, nodding to the Alpha though he wouldn't be able to see. Every time Reiner banged on the door Eren flinched, terrified the door would give.

“Eren,” Reiner cooed through the door, “You're just making this harder for yourself! Come out and I'll be gentle.” He finished his words with another loud bang on the door, making the hinges rattle.

“No!” Eren yelled back, scrambling to grab his hairdryer and string up the cord like Levi had told him to. In his haste, he dropped his phone and it landed with a crunch on the tile. “Shit fuck shit!” Eren cursed, quickly securing the cord then reaching down to pick up his phone. The screen was cracked and black and it wouldn't turn on when Eren held down the button.

"Eren? Eren?!" Levi exclaimed when he heard the Omega shout and then a clatter and then nothing, but silence and he tried to redial the brunette, got nothing but voicemail. He swore vehemently under his breath and shoved his phone into his pocket, laying on the gas and grateful for the low traffic at the time of evening. If Reiner hurt his Omega in any way, Levi would become a murderer tonight. He was fairly certain he could get Eren's mother and his own to come help him bury the body if he needed them to.

He made it to Eren's house in record time and was out of his truck, slamming the door carelessly behind him and sprinting over the lawn to the front step, making it to the door in seconds, grappling with his keys, cursing hands that were shaking so badly with adrenaline and anxiety that he nearly dropped them and it took a couple tries to get the key into the lock. He left them there for the moment, not closing the door behind him either as he went inside Eren's house.

He could hear Reiner pounding on and pleading through the door to the Omega on the other side and relief washed through him for the briefest of moments before aggression and possessive protectiveness rose rapid and ferocious around him, feral and dangerous. He turned into Eren's room and clamped a hand on the back of Reiner's thick neck before the other Alpha even realized he was there, smashing his head against the door with a loud thump before he yanked him backwards, effectively planting the larger Alpha back onto his ass across the floor and he placed his own body in front of the closed and dented bathroom door, hunched low in anticipation of retaliation, though he didn't particularly want to fight Reiner. He would and he would leave the other Alpha bloody and broken in his wake if he had to. He deserved it for what he'd attempted.

"Get out! Get out you fucking piece of shit excuse for an Alpha before I fucking kill you. I swear to god, I will leave you in a bloody heap on the lawn for the cops to pick up if you don't get the fuck out of here and if I **see** you around him again, I won't give you a second warning," he growled in a tone that was deep and menacing and entirely serious, eyes narrowed with killing intent, burning dark gunmetal mercury with blood lust.

Fear flashed across Reiner's face as he blinked at the sheer murderous intent on Levi's face and in his scent. In that moment, he believed everything the short Alpha had said and it frightened him in a way he'd never been frightened before.

Blood started to trickle into his eye from the cut he'd gotten getting his head smashed into the door and he brought his hand up to touch it. He looked at his bloodied hand then at Levi, then huffed in mock annoyance to hide his fear. "Fuck this. I'm out of here," he said as he pulled his giant body to his feet, "You can have that piece of shit. He’s not worth the fucking trouble."

Reiner didn't even pause to do up his pants as he stalked out of the bedroom then out of the house without a glance behind him as he got in his Lamborghini and peeled away from Eren's house.

Levi followed the other Alpha out, just to be sure he was gone before he retrieved his keys from the door, slammed it closed and locked it, checked the others and the windows too before he went back to Eren's room. He could smell the distress, fear, desperation and tears even with the barrier still keeping Eren safe and pressed his hand to the splitting wood of the door while his scent settled into his normal dominance and affection, promising safety and protection without expectation.

"Sweetness," he called softly through the door, but he knew Eren would hear him, “You can come out now. He's gone."

"I-I c-can't," Eren stuttered quietly. After his phone had broken, he'd crawled into the bathtub and curled up in a ball, praying to god that the door held. He was so petrified, he couldn't move except to shake as he lay on the cool porcelain.

Levi closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against the door, "Okay... But I can't get in like this sweetness, so I'll just stay here okay, right here outside the door, until you can let me in. Is that alright?" he said, eyes still closed as his scent began to fill the space, overlaying the remnants of Reiner's and mingling with Eren's, wrapping around it and cradling it protectively as he simply stood there, pressed as closely to the closed door as he could, as close to **Eren** as he could be without breaking the door down himself. He could, but he wouldn't.

After a few moments of deep breathing to try and calm the panic, Eren slowly untucked himself from the ball he was in and crawled out of the bathtub. His limbs felt heavy and he wondered if his body was caught between fight and flight, unable to decide between the two.

Eren crawled to the door and managed to unhook the cord around the door. It looked like he did it so tight he might have damaged the hairdryer, but he didn't care. He set it down beside him on the floor then reached up to unlock the door, marveling at how such a little lock managed to keep out such a large man. Or maybe Reiner hadn't begun to try very hard yet. A shudder ran through Eren's body at the thought.

Levi could hear Eren moving and when he heard the click of the lock, he palmed the knob and turned it slowly, pushing it open cautiously, not wanting to spook the Omega any further. He pushed it to open fully, but didn't step inside immediately. He peered at Eren, tear-streaked, disheveled and in Levi's clothes and the Alpha's expression was soft. After a drawn moment, he shuffled forward and crouched down a foot or two from Eren, opening his arms in invitation to the other male, but didn't try to grab him and didn't say anything, just silently offering the safety he knew his embrace held for the Omega if he wanted it. He didn't want to force Eren into his arms though he desperately wanted to touch him and soothe him. A soft, thrumming croon rose in his throat, the only sound he made in order to coax the Omega closer.

Eren hesitated a moment then crawled forward into Levi's arms and collapsed. Silent sobs wracked Eren's body as he clung to Levi, relief evident in his scent. "I... Didn't... Think... Y-you'd make it... In time..." Eren spoke haltingly, like it was hard for him to form the words.

"Shh, it's okay now. I did make it in time," Levi cooed quietly, adjusting his arms around Eren so that he could lift him up, cradling him tightly against his chest "I'm not going to let him near you again sweetness. You're safe now. You're always safe with me," he assured as he brought Eren out of the bathroom, but didn't move to set him on the bed, moving to set him on the dresser instead for a moment, framing his teary face with his hands and thumbing away the salty rivulets pouring from the shimmering green depths of the Omega's eyes. "I'm gonna change the bedding, okay sweetness? You stay right here where you can see me and then I'll stay with you like last time okay?" He said, wording it in the form of a question to be sure that he wasn't doing anything that would startle the Omega.

"Not the bed!" Eren yelled, grabbing onto Levi and holding on tightly, "Let's go... Let's go s-somewhere else... I don't wanna... I don't wanna be on that bed... Right now," he said, looking passed Levi at the bed that he used to love and now he couldn't stand the thought of being in.

The Alpha grunted softly when Eren grabbed him frantically and shouted. He wrapped his arms back around him, understanding in his gaze. "Shh, okay okay. Where then sweetness? We'll go wherever you want," he said quietly, uncertain if Eren's guest room was set up yet, there was the sofa or the daybed outside or he supposed he could just make them a nest of pillows and blankets on the living room floor, or he could take Eren home to his place if that was what the Omega wanted. He didn't care where, so long as Eren was comfortable and safe.

"Couch... Is okay," Eren mumbled, wrapping his arms around Levi's neck and his legs around Levi's waist. He had become accustomed to the Alpha carrying him places, and since his body refused to work properly, he figured he might as well not fight against it. He wanted to be carried. Eren pressed his nose into the soft skin of Levi's neck and breathed deeply. He was safe now. Reiner wasn't going to force him now. Levi wouldn’t let him.

“Okay," Levi agreed, tilting his head a bit, perfectly content to let Eren bury his face against his neck while he carried him out to the living room. He slouched down onto the couch, leaning back against the large throw pillow and pulling the soft blanket off the back of it to wrap around Eren, keeping him against his chest. He rubbed his hands up and down the other male's back soothingly and stretched out under him, nuzzling him back affectionately, scenting him without much thought, hoping the gesture would make Eren feel safer and more comfortable. "Do you want to talk? We can talk about anything you want sweetness, or we don't have to," he murmured softly, not slowing his soothing motions, nor dulling his scent in the slightest, wrapping it around the both of them protectively.

"He was fucking crazy," Eren said quietly, feeling a need to tell someone what had happened. "I tried to break up with him... And he... He forced me to the bedroom... Started stripping me," Eren recounted, his voice hitching as he recalled the event, "He was gonna bond me... For wearing your fucking clothes... Told me... Told me to close my eyes and take it... It was fucking horrible..."

A growl rumbled like far away thunder in the Alpha's chest and he held Eren tighter, one hand slipping up to massage with gentle and familiar firmness along the back of Eren's neck over his nape. "He's a bastard. I should have hit him harder. I'm sorry that you had to go through something like that. He knew he was losing you and couldn't accept it... Possessive Alpha bullshit. It'll be alright now, I'll take care of you sweetness, I promise," he replied, anger simmering righteously in his gut, but he remained calm and soothing, refusing to let his own irritation interfere with the warm affection and familiar safety he was providing for the Omega.

"I got away by kicking him right in the dick as he was pulling it out," Eren blurted, a hysterical giggle ripped out of his throat at the memory. It was horrible and hilarious all at once.

"Good. He deserved it and so much more," Levi hummed, threading his fingers up into the tangled chestnut hair at the back of Eren's head and he massaged his fingertips in tender circles over his scalp, "I'm so glad you got away sweetness, so glad..." His other arm curled tighter around Eren's back, holding him as closely as he could because he was so fucking precious to Levi. He didn't know what he'd have done if Reiner had succeeded. Certainly, he probably would have killed the other Alpha, but Eren would have been broken and he couldn't fathom seeing him that way.

"Well it's over now... I broke up with the asshole," Eren said with a watery smile, the smell of Levi and his strong arms helping him calm down. He looked up at Levi, noticing his bruised face. His fingers traced the damage lightly and he asked, "Was what you said the other night true?"

Levi met Eren's eyes, his own soft and light, silver flecked with white like snowflakes, a soft hum sounding as gentle fingertips traced the bruising on his face. "Everything I said last night was true sweetness," he replied in a husky murmur.

Eren stayed quiet for a few moments as he went over Levi's words in his head and continued to run his fingers over the marks. "What about Krista?" Eren asked quietly, "I thought you really liked her."

Levi's lips curved into a half smile. "I do like her, but we were never really more than platonic. She loves someone else. And she knew I had you, that you were different for me," he paused, wetting his lips, "We're not together any more, but we'll probably always be friends. I owe her."

Eren's eyes widened with the new information. "I know you said you guys weren't screwing, but I definitely thought you were lying to make me feel better," he said with awe on his face at the revelation. "It might have only been a split second, but today was the first time I saw Reiner's dick," he said, trying to stifle a giggle and failing, "For such a big, confident guy, you'd think he was packing something more impressive." At the end of his sentence, Eren broke out in a fit of laughter, burying his face in Levi's chest to try and suppress it.

Levi chuckled and shook his head. "His attitude makes so much sense and the fancy cars too, obviously he was compensating," he said with a little grin, hugging the Omega firmly. "Mm, I'm just glad to know that that's the only time you had to see it. Krista and I never even saw each other naked. So you know that slumber party we talked about before... Pretty certain the most naughty thing that would have happened would've been a pillow fight."

"Not with me there," Eren said, looking up to smile and wink at the Alpha. "Guess you were so hung up on me, you couldn't get it up," Eren said, completely joking as he nudged Levi's nose with his own. The Omega was incredibly happy that Levi hadn't slept with Krista. So many nights he had pictured them with complete dread in his stomach at the thought. But now he knew the truth; Levi had wanted him the whole time and it felt amazing. Even after everything that had happened, Eren felt warm and fuzzy now that he was in Levi's arms.

The Alpha pursed his lips as heat flared in his ears, turning the tips a rosy shade of pink. "It's not my fault, she just... Didn't feel right," he mumbled, gaze shifting away, embarrassed by the admission. His hands kneaded at the Omega's back and sides unconsciously through the layers of clothing and was struck by the realization that this right here, with his Omega, his Eren, it felt perfect. It felt like home.

Eren's eyes widened in shock. "Wow... Levi Ackerman... Player King of Alphas... Couldn't get it up over some Omega he dumped," Eren said with an awed voice like he couldn't believe it himself.

"Yeah yeah, laugh it up. I felt terrible," Levi replied, his eyes flickering to Eren's, "I don't know what you did to me sweetness, but whatever it was, it stuck." Feeling a little bolder and a lot more relaxed now that he had Eren calmed down, safe and sound in his arms, comfortable like it always had been, he settled his hands on the Omega's hips and thumbed lightly over the much sharper protrusion of bone there, felt even beneath Eren's clothes. He frowned a little, "You're so fucking small and sharp now... I'm going to have to start cooking for you again."

"Oh god!" Eren exclaimed, sudden realization hitting him hard, "I get to fucking eat again! Holy shit!" He wiggled on top of Levi in happiness when he realized something else. "You know I thought I'd be way more sad about breaking up with Reiner than I am... I feel more relief than anything."

Levi tilted his head to the side, watching Eren light up and smiled at the sight. **Beautiful** , like always. "I'm not surprised. You were always so anxious and jumpy when he was around. You don't have to worry like that anymore," he murmured, still watching and smiling, hands still warm and gently massaging the too slim hips, pleased that Eren already seemed better for having escaped the other Alpha. Things could have been so much worse and Levi made himself a promise just then, that he would never leave Eren vulnerable like that again.

"It wasn't all bad you know... It was nice to not feel alone and have someone... But I guess you did say he was lying to me about a lot of really important shit," Eren said, his smile turning a little sad. "The only reason I dated him was 'cause it would piss you off and I wanted to hurt you passive aggressively instead of acting on my first instinct which was to rip out all of Krista's hair when you were fucking around with her _in my driveway_..." He gave Levi a pointed 'what the fuck' look.

"I know... I knew what you were doing... You did try to be nasty to her too... You know she poured those drinks on Reiner on purpose and she took care of your drunk ass in the back of my truck; you couldn't even hate her if you tried. She figured it out right after you were introduced that you were the one I was stuck on. She's scary good at reading people," he said with a wry smile before he remembered something that had nagged at him since the first time Eren had even heard he was seeing someone, "That reminds me, when did you start smoking?"

"Started smoking in high school and quit during my undergrad," Eren said with a shrug. "Then I was really stressed out like right after we broke up and decided I'd have one to calm down... Then that evolved into smoking every time you pissed me off 'cause it was better than bashing your face in... Then it evolved into a nervous habit to cope with Reiner's bullshit... But I've decided to quit again," he explained the evolution of his smoking. He looked back at Levi with a devilish smirk, "You hated it, didn't you?"

"I did hate it... And it was my fault... I'm sorry Eren... For everything," he said, reaching up with one hand to cup the Omega's jaw and brush his thumb along one prominent and soft cheekbone, meeting the jewel bright gaze with his own, sincerity in the depths of his own murky silver. He'd never meant any apology more in all his life.

"Ahhhh that makes me happy. Nice to know something petty worked out," Eren said with a laugh. "Don't apologize. You didn't stick the cigarette into my mouth and light it and you didn't make me continue dating Reiner and act like an idiot," he said, nuzzling into Levi's hand affectionately. "These were all my choices and I'll own up to them like an adult. Although, all of this bullshit was worth it to see the look on your face when I walked into the club with Reiner." He smirked at Levi, a flash of evil dancing across his eyes.

Levi heaved a thick sigh and shifted a little under Eren, stretching his legs out on the sofa, laying down fully. "Mm, I was more pissed off because he said some fucked up things to me when we first met and I never thought you would show up with him. I honestly would have hated seeing you with Jean less. Reiner was never any good for you and it... That whole night was painful, but it's alright, I deserved it," he paused and inhaled a deep breath, "It was hard being around you, but I couldn't leave you alone either, especially when you started actually seeing Reiner. I missed you."

"Yeah," Eren said sheepishly, feeling a little bad for taunting Levi. "You know the outfit was all for you though. Thought you were gonna bend me over right in the bathroom. Too bad you didn't," Eren said, giving him a crooked half smile, as he wiggled his hips over Levi's since their pelvises were crushed together. The Omega wondered if it sent electricity through Levi like it did himself.

"I wanted to..." Levi shuddered and his breath hitched, fingers gripping Eren's hips to still them, "Mm, don't do that unless you mean it sweetness." His voice was low, husky and a little strained as electric heat spread under his skin and he could feel his cock perk up with definite interest. He had no intention of taking Eren in the still vulnerable state he was in. He wanted, needed for the Omega to know that he meant so much more to him than that, not that he didn't want to feel him again, to taste him and fill him, because he did, so much that it ached, but he didn't want Eren to think it was the only reason he'd rescued him. He hadn't been expecting to be accepted back so quickly and he wasn't about to squander it by letting his cock lead him around.

"Of course I mean it," Eren said, furrowing his brows, but stilling his hips all the same, "I've been deprived of sex for weeks! Weeks!" He abruptly sat up, pushing away from Levi as anxiety started to rise in his scent. "But you're right... I want to pretend I'm okay, but I'm not okay. It's still hard for me to believe you actually like me at all after everything that has happened..." Eren leaned forward and started to tug at his hair, "And really, nothing's changed... I can't go back to a casual relationship with you... Not when you can just leave me whenever you feel like it. Like fuck. It tore me apart to let you go and now you're back and I don't know what to do..." Now that Eren thought about everything and Levi suddenly wanting him again, he was starting to freak out.

Levi frowned and his brows furrowed in concern. He gently reached up and pulled Eren's hands away from his hair. "Don't do that sweetness. It's alright. I don't expect you to do that, to go back to that... I know it's hard to believe, especially after what a coward I was then and you don't have to believe me today or even next week, however long it takes; I'll do whatever I have to to convince you," he paused and swallowed hard, mouth feeling dry as his nerves tingled, butterflies fluttering in his belly as he forced himself to say the next words because they needed to be said. Eren needed to hear them, needed to know that Levi was willing. "I don't want to be temporary anymore." His own scent responded to the Omega's, rising up to comfort him and soothe his anxiety even as threads of Levi's own nervousness weaved into it.

Eren whipped his head to stare at Levi in shock. Did that mean what he thought it meant? It couldn't! Could it? Eren didn't even know anymore. As his mind warred with itself, going over his words over and over again, Eren whined in frustration. "Can we just... Can we just worry about everything later? I think if I think about anything more, my head might explode," Eren said, biting his lip almost to the point of making it bleed.

Levi smiled just a little, relief settling in. It wasn't an outright rejection and he could see the shock and confusion, the doubt. He could wait until Eren was ready to believe him. He'd meant what he'd said. "'Course sweetness, there's no rush. I'm not going anywhere. Get some rest," he answered, reaching up to run his thumb under Eren's bottom lip that was caught between the Omega's teeth. "Come 'ere. Just sleep, just like the other night. I'll keep you safe."

"Not tired," Eren said, still looking at Levi in disbelief. Pulling his legs up, he knelt on the couch and leaned right up into Levi's face, cocking his head as he did so. "Kiss me," he said suddenly as he stared openly at Levi's mouth. He wanted some sort of proof that Levi wasn't just messing with him.

Levi's eyes widened ever so slightly before they softened and understanding curled in the smoky silver depths. He framed Eren's face with his hands and leaned up slightly, tilting his head to slant his mouth over Eren's. His eyes closed as his breath caught and his heart pounded in his chest. His scent became heavier and he made a soft noise in the back of his throat. The kiss wasn't quite chaste, but it wasn't anything heated either. It was warm and filled with the aching affection Levi felt for the Omega, soft but firm with desire and honesty. This kiss **meant** something.

Eren was still as Levi moved against him, his lips loose and malleable. As the kiss continued, Eren slowly began to respond, his head tilting as he deepened the kiss. Soon his mouth became hungry and his movements desperate as he pushed Levi back and moved back on top of the man, folding their bodies together like they had used to.

The Alpha groaned lowly into the kiss and parted his lips for Eren, holding the Omega's hips and keeping his own from bucking up though he wanted too. After several long moments, one hand slipped up the back of Eren's shirt to smooth along his spine and massage tenderly at the base of his neck and kissed him back until his lungs begged for breath and he had to pull away. He broke the kiss, but kept Eren close, their foreheads pressed to one another while their panting breaths mingled and they were close enough for their eyelashes to nearly brush, eyes half lidded, filled with heat and so much more. He licked his lips and shifted against the Omega, swallowed hard and tried to find his voice. "Eren," he breathed like a warning, like a plea, fingertips caressing back down the other male's spine to rest in the dip of his lower back, holding him, but refusing to push for anything more intimate.

Eren licked his lips of the taste of Levi's mouth, savouring it as he closed his eyes. "Okay," he breathed, nodding to himself a few times, "I'll let you try and prove it to me..." He leaned in to press another kiss to Levi's mouth before he pulled back to rest his head on the Alpha's chest. Eren listened to the out of control heartbeat as he tried to control his own. "Take it slow this time?" he asked quietly, unwilling to make the same mistakes.

"Whatever you want sweetness, I don't mind as long as it means I get to call you mine again and I'll be yours," Levi agreed without hesitation. He would prove to Eren that he meant what he'd said. He would do anything. "You're changing me; I just hope I'll be everything you want in the end," he murmured, nosing against the top of Eren's head, breathing in his scent deeply and squeezing the Omega tight for a moment before loosening the hold again.

"Not yours yet," Eren said stubbornly, not willing to allow it quite so soon. He was serious when he said the Alpha had to prove himself. "But I guess we will see," he said, nuzzling into the Alpha, covering himself with Levi's scent. If he was honest, he knew he already was Levi's, always had been. But he wouldn't tell the Alpha that just yet. Eren didn't want to get hurt again.

"It's that yet that keeps me from giving up. There's no time limit when there's a yet," Levi murmured, his scent content, warm and wanting and as protective as it had ever been. All he'd asked for was a chance and Eren had just granted him one. He wasn't going to waste it.

He let Eren scent himself, turning his head and rubbing back almost lazily, familiar and happy to be covered with his favourite scent again. Eren was worth the wait. He was worth changing for.


	24. Family Business

 

The next morning, Levi took Eren for breakfast at Win's and they spent the day mattress shopping. Eren had wanted a new bed. They spent the night at Levi's with the excuse that Phoenix needed to be taken care of and that Eren's couch, though comfortable would not be the best bed for another night. They cuddled and slept and there may have been a few tentative kisses, but neither instigated more.

Monday found Levi putting together the new bed and moving the furniture in Eren's bedroom around so that it would be different and the Omega could be comfortable in the room again. A trip to the hardware store and a new bathroom door and dinner made by the Alpha before Eren had even returned home from work which he had been nervous to return to in the first place, but wearing more of Levi's clothes and covered in the protective scent had soothed him enough to allow him to go into the office. There were whispers and rumours and Reiner apparently had called in sick for the day, but no one dared ask their boss what had happened or why he came in with his ex's scent and not the missing lawyer's.

Levi had brought Phoenix with him and they both spent another night with Eren watching silly comedies and children's movies in Eren's new bed and the Alpha might have been concerned about how easily they'd fallen back into the familiarity of the domesticity without the sex if it hadn't made him feel incredibly warm inside, proud and so very grateful, that he couldn't bring anything up because he didn't want Eren to suddenly decide it was too fast.

Tuesday was much the same only Levi made a phone call to his mother and asked a favour of her for the following day and he didn't tell her why he needed the favour, but promised she'd understand when he arrived for dinner the following evening. He didn't tell her he'd be bringing a date. She was happy enough not to ask because he'd agreed to come to the family dinner without protest for once.

So it was that Levi was at Eren's house, finished working on the basement for the day and dressed casually for dinner in dark jeans and blue button up with the sleeves rolled to the elbows and the topmost buttons open. His bruises were fading and the splits on his knuckles were scabbed over; he looked pretty good all things considered, but he was a little nervous about the evening. He'd asked Eren to come to dinner with him, but he hadn't said where they were going. He wasn't sure if it would be too fast, but it was too late to back out now.

Phoenix paced the floor with him as he waited for the Omega to arrive home from work. He was so lost in his thoughts that he actually jumped when he heard the front door open and the scent of his Omega proceeded Eren as he came inside the house, Phoenix bolting to greet him at the door exuberantly while Levi lingered in the kitchen, trying to settle the fluttering of nerves in his stomach.

"I'm home," Eren called, toeing off his shoes and bending over to ruffle Nix's ears. He padded to the kitchen and put down his briefcase as he loosened his tie then walked around the island to give Levi a hug and a peck on the mouth. "How was your day?" he asked, ducking down to nose into Levi's neck, a habit he'd developed when he was stressed.

Levi hands found their way to Eren's sides and he tilted his head to allow the Omega more access to his neck, scent rising immediately, inviting, protective and affectionate. "Mm, welcome home sweetness. My day was the same as usual. The bathroom is almost finished. I just have to install the faucets and hang the décor for you. How was work?" he replied, kneading the Omega's sides through his clothes. His nerves settled with Eren in his arms and he was assured; it wasn't too soon.

"Shitty," Eren said then sighed, "I wanna smoke so bad... Quitting is harder than I remember it being..." He stood up straight, gave Levi another kiss, more lingering this time then backed away as he took off his suit jacket and began unbuttoning his shirt. "You said you wanted to go to dinner tonight," he remembered, beginning to walk down the hall, "Anything particular I should wear?"

Levi hummed into the kiss, returning it without protest, giving Eren's hips a squeeze before he released him, not commenting on the bad habit that Eren was in the midst of quitting. He had been silently supportive the entire few days that Eren had begun quitting and he wasn't going to mention his opinions on it. He was glad that the Omega was quitting. "Nah, wear whatever you want sweetness," he said as he followed Eren down the hall, leaning in the doorway to the Omega's room, "Why don't you wear that green sweater you have, the fuzzy one? You look great in it and it's cozy, right?" he suggested, watching Eren from under his lashes, admiring him shamelessly, but not moving further into his room, arms crossed over his waist to keep from giving in to the desire to touch his revealed skin.

Eren took off his shirt and threw it into the hamper. "Mm, yeah I think that's what I'll wear," he said shooting a smile at Levi over his shoulder as he unbuckled his belt and undid his pants. He walked into his closet to grab the sweater off the hanger and a pair of black leggings and put them on along with his bracelet.

Sauntering out of the closet, he gave a little twirl. "How do I look?" he asked with a bright smile.

Levi eyed the other male when he stepped out of the closet and spun to show off the outfit, warm liquid mercury crawling up and down his form appreciatively. He finally stepped into the room and reached for Eren, rubbing his hands up and down his sides again affectionately. "As beautiful as I remember. You ready to go right away?" he murmured sincerely, leaning in to nose along the Omega's collar familiarly, inhaling his scent and humming his approval.

"Yeah sure," Eren agreed, wrapping his arms around Levi's neck. "Are you gonna tell me where we are going?" he asked, batting his eyelashes to look cute.

The Alpha lowered his lashes and met the cute expression head on. "Nuh uh. Nice try though sweetness. You'll see when we get there," he said, a smile spreading on his mouth, hands slipping up the back of Eren's sweater to brush lightly against the small of his back for several seconds before he stepped back and gave the Omega a playful swat on the backside. "Come on then, sooner we leave, sooner you'll see where we're going," he prompted as he turned and led the way out of the room with a decidedly cocky swagger.

"Fine," Eren groaned, rubbing his ass to soothe the sting of Levi's hand. He followed Levi out of the bedroom then looked at him with confusion when he saw that the Alpha was putting Nix's leash on. "You don't have to take him to your house, I'm sure he'll be fine here while we have dinner," Eren said, walking over to scratch Nix's ear.

Levi chuckled, "Nah, he gets to come with us tonight," he answered enigmatically as he led the way outside and to his truck. He opened Eren's door for him before he got the dog situated in the backseat then slipped into his own seat and started up the truck.

Maybe fifteen minutes or so later, they pulled up behind the purple beetle at a quaint two story red bricked house with white shutters, stained glass front door and enormous flowering gardens, equipped with pond in the front yard and white picket fence. Phoenix began to whine and fidget excitedly, obviously recognizing where they were.

Eren looked at the house curiously as he waited for Levi to open his door. "This doesn't look like a restaurant? Who are we having dinner with?" he asked Levi skeptically as he hopped out of the truck. Eren was kind of disappointed they weren't spending the evening alone together, but was interested to see the surprise Levi had in store for him.

Levi glanced at the Omega as he let Phoenix out and the dog immediately bolted to the door of the house, barking like a lunatic and seconds later, there were answering barks from inside. And only a moment after that, Eren's question was answered when Levi's mother pulled the front door open to allow Phoenix to greet Tank, the charcoal grey Malamute inside the house, the both of them bouncing and rubbing against each other happily.

Levi sucked his bottom lip between his teeth and worried it a second, his hand resting lightly on Eren's back. "We're having dinner with my crazy family... I hope that's okay?" he finally said, looking at Eren sidelong, nervous again that maybe he should have waited longer for this.

Eren paused in his tracks and whipped his head to look at Levi with shock. He immediately brought his hand up to Levi's forehead to check his temperature with his own, then asked, "Are you feeling okay? Do we need to go to a hospital?" Then he gasped, "Imposter! Who are you and what have you done with my Levi?" The sad part was Eren was only half joking. The Levi from before would rather die than have Eren meet and spend a whole evening with his entire family willingly.

Levi snatched Eren's hand from his forehead, threading their fingers together instead and ignored the burning in his ears, looking away. "I told you, I'm changing sweetness. Think of it as proof," he muttered, obviously embarrassed and more than a little nervous, uncertain of Eren's reaction. The whole situation was entirely unfamiliar to the Alpha, but he was trying.

There was a girlish squeal from the porch when Kuchel laid eyes on Eren and her son and she came flying down the steps to greet the couple brightly. "Eren! Levi didn't say he'd be bringing you!" she paused, eyes widening when she noticed their clasped hands and her smile broadened, lighting up her whole face with delight. "You look gorgeous! Still too skinny, but we'll fix that right up. How have you been my dear?"

"Um, I've been pretty good," Eren answered, blushing and rubbing the back of his neck with his free hand, "Been lots of changes in the last little while. Levi didn't tell me I was coming for dinner either... But it's great to see you!" He threw a smile at Levi then sniffed the aroma wafting out of the house. "If that's dinner I smell, I'm sure you'll fatten me up in no time," Eren said with a giggle.

Kuchel laughed. "I can see there's been some new developments. Oh yes, there's lots to eat. Issy and Farlan haven't arrived yet. Dinner should be ready in the next hour and knowing the two of them, they'll arrive right when it's being set on the table," she replied, clapping Levi on the shoulder and pressing a kiss to his cheek to show her exuberant support, ignoring his grimace and accompanying grumble.

"Well, what are we standing out here for? There are embarrassing baby photos for you to see, come in come in," she prompted, winking and grinning at Eren before she was leading the way inside. Levi groaned and carded his unoccupied hand through his hair, glancing at the Omega at his side and giving his hand a squeeze.

"Welcome to the house of crazy sweetness... You're okay with this right?" he murmured close to Eren so that his mother wouldn't hear. The woman was humming and practically skipping as she proceeded them to their family home.

"Of course," Eren whispered back, squeezing his Alpha's hand to convey his happiness, "This was real sweet of you to set up... Makes me happy." Eren leaned to the side to give Levi a quick peck to the cheek, his own cheeks bright with colour. "I mean... You say your family is crazy, but you've already met mine..."

Levi sighed in relief and smiled a bit, warmed by the affectionate kiss and the colouring on Eren's cheeks. "Oh god, I'm going to have nightmares about them meeting each other," he replied, only half joking. He was sure their mothers together was the stuff nightmares were made of. It wasn't that he thought they wouldn't get along; he was sure they'd get along **too** well.

"Brian! Levi's here and he brought Eren with him! Come say hello," Kuchel called as they came into the house that was warm and inviting, all honeyed and aged wood with plush throw rugs and comfortable purposely mismatched furniture. There were photos and eclectic knick knacks everywhere. It was open concept with wide arched doorways between the rooms. The two dogs were rolling around and nipping playfully at each other on a rug spread over the large open space in the living room and the smell of dinner was even stronger, mixing with the spicy scent of cinnamon from the large candle Kuchel had burning on the dining room table.

She turned to look over her shoulder as she led them to the kitchen, "Brian should be right up. He's always tinkering around in his **man cave** downstairs," she excused with a roll of her eyes as she checked pots on the stove, stirring a creamy white sauce idly before replacing the lid to allow it to simmer and thicken a while longer. She waved them over to the table to sit on the cushioned chairs, "Do you like red or white wine Eren?" she asked as she retrieved a couple wide, stemless wine glasses from the cupboard and set them on the counter, along with both bottles of wine, filling two with red for herself and her son while she waited for the other Omega's answer.

"Red please," Eren said brightly, smiling wide at the offer. Even though he'd met Kuchel and Levi's step dad before, he was a little nervous. Maybe a little alcohol would loosen him up. She poured the wine for Eren and he took the glass, taking a generous sip. "This is really good," he said, licking the remnants off his lips, "And dinner smells divine. This was a much better idea than going out to eat!" Eren smiled at the mother and son then said shyly, "I’ve missed having family dinners. Maybe we could do this more often..."

Kuchel grinned widely, "Oh yes, absolutely. You can drag Levi here as often as you like. He's always making such silly excuses not to come," she leaned forward to whisper loudly, "Think it's because his sister is always teasing him for coming alone. She tries to set him up with blind dates every time he does, but I don't think he'll have anything to worry about with you here. She's going to be so excited to finally meet you."

Levi pursed his lips and narrowed his eyes, "Tch, it's because I can only handle Issy in small doses. Once a month is more than enough," he argued though it was hardly serious and his mother's observation was much closer to the truth. The Alpha glanced at Eren and his expression softened, "But if you want to, I don't mind coming more often sweetness. I know you don't get to see your family as much as you'd like. I guess I can share mine." He could feel the burning in his ears again and crawling over the back of his neck as he said the words, but he wasn't going to take them back. Eren looked so right sitting in his parents' kitchen with him. He took a sip of his own wine and slipped his arm over the back of the Omega's chair casually, feeling far more relaxed than he had. He'd been nervous for nothing.

"Well, I guess we will see," Eren said with a shrug, not wanting to commit to anything and end up disappointed if it didn't happen. "Tonight will be the first night I've ever met your sister," Eren said to Levi, "How are her house renovations going?" Eren looked down as he swirled the liquid in his glass, "Think she'll like me?" he wondered out loud.

Levi chuckled. "Oh she's gonna **love** you sweetness. As for her house... Well it's slow moving, but they're getting there. Once I'm done with your place, I'm going to go give them a hand. Issy says they don't need it, but if I don't, it's going to take them ten years to finish it themselves at the pace the two of them are going," he replied, setting his glass down on the table and glancing at Eren, warmth and humour swimming in his silver gaze.

"Levi, come give me a hand for a sec, would you?" the voice of Levi's stepfather sounded from the open doorway leading down the stairs to the basement and the raven glanced between Eren and his mother and then back again before he stood up.

"Be right there pop," he called before he leaned in to give Eren a kiss on the cheek and murmured, "I'll be back in a few sweetness," before he stepped away, disappearing down the stairs to assist Brian though it was an excuse since the older Alpha simply handed him the requested beach house keys once he'd arrived downstairs, a knowing look on his face. They caught up for a bit, Brian showing Levi his current pet projects and talking shop for several minutes before they went back upstairs.

As soon as Levi had disappeared down the steps, Kuchel was pulling out the baby albums and stealing Levi's vacated seat so that she could spread them in front of Eren with a mischievous grin. "Ready to see what a little cutie Levi was? I'm so excited... I've never gotten to show off his embarrassing baby photos before," she said, bouncing in her seat a bit.

Eren bounced along beside her. "Oooooh this seems fun," Eren said with excitement. "Can I pick out my favourites and get you to make me some copies? For the love of god, please tell me you have some of him in the bathtub or at least of his cute little tooshie," Eren squealed, leaning close to the woman as she flipped the pages of the photo album, "It's gonna be weird to see that grumpy look of his on a child!"

Kuchel giggled wickedly, "Absolutely I can and I do have some good ones of his little white bum. Ah, don't mind the ones that are missing pieces. Levi got a hold of the pictures when he was six. Took a pair of safety scissors to the ones that had his father in them. Such a silly boy. When Kenny caught him, he just said he didn't want me to be sad when I looked at them anymore. He was a sweet child," she said, her smile turning nostalgic and a tad sad as she spoke and flipped a page, perking up when she saw the pictures there. "Oh, here we go, here he is trying to make me a birthday cake when he was three," she explained, pointing to a picture of a tiny, dark haired little boy standing on a chair at a counter in nothing, but an apron that was entirely too large for him, falling off one shoulder and pooled at his feet, covered in flour and cocoa everywhere, but his little white backside, looking back over his shoulder with a wide-eyed expression of surprise. There was another placed next to it in which he had turned to face the camera fully, his arms crossed over his little chest and a familiar pouty annoyed look on his cocoa dusted face. Kuchel chuckled, "He was so angry at me for ruining his surprise. When I asked why he wasn't wearing any clothes under the apron, he told me he didn't want to get his favourite jammies dirty."

Eren laughed out loud as he looked at the picture with warmth in his eyes. "He's such a sweetheart, even now... You did a good job raising him," Eren said, giving Kuchel an approving grin. Then his face fell a little. "Can I ask you a question? It might be cheating, but I'm a little afraid of asking Levi himself... Especially when we _just_ got back together and I don't really know if it's gonna work out," Eren said as he bit his lip nervously. "In my last relationship, my Alpha kept some really important things from me so I don't want to be blindsided again..."

Kuchel blinked at Eren, her gaze soft with understanding and open as she placed a reassuring hand on one of Eren's. "Sure sweetie, ask me anything," she said, sincerity in her voice as she watched him, turning in her seat to face him more fully.

"Well... I-um... I was wondering if you knew how Levi felt about children... He's been pretty vague about it in the past," Eren said, rubbing the back of his neck and looking down, feeling like he was gossiping or some shit. "Having a family is a major goal of mine even though I'm infertile... And I've been taking steps to make that goal a reality... If he wants nothing to do with them, I understand... But it's kind of a deal breaker for me..." He took a deep breath and let it out then continued, "And I know it's way too soon to talk to him about which is why I'm asking you... He's trying to convince me to continue this, but I've already promised myself I'm not giving up my own goals for an Alpha again..."

Kuchel inhaled a breath and let it out in a soft sigh, trying to find the right words to answer with. "He doesn't hate children, nor is he terrible with them, but like bonding, he's scared of failing at it. It's completely irrational. He's decided to face his fears for you and I'm sure if he's considering commitment and possibly bonding, that children aren't so far from his mind either. Just be patient with him and don't wait too long to bring it up... You're the first Omega he's ever been willing to try for Eren. I wouldn't ever expect you to give anything up and neither would he, but he might get anxious sometimes. Don't take it personally or as a ploy to force you to sacrifice anything for him... He doesn't want you to change, but he's decided _he's_ going to and it's not an easy shift for him," she said, trying to explain. Her boy was still nervous, but he was willing to give it a shot and she knew that him having brought Eren to their home was monumental. He'd never sought their approval before, never felt attached enough to another person to go out of his way to bring them into the family, but as she'd suspected from the start, Eren was different.

Eren nodded slowly to her explanation. "I just don't want to push him into anything he doesn't want... The last time we dated, I was ready to sacrifice bonding for him... But I've really learned a lot about myself these last few weeks and there are things I've decided I'm not willing to give up... Even for Levi," Eren said, trying to explain his worries. "But I'm definitely willing to give him another shot... That's why I'm here at all... I don't want a repeat of last time though," he said with a sad smile.

She smiled kindly at him in return. "He didn't think you'd give him another chance, you know. He was so sure he wasn't deserving of one. He's good at pretending he's unaffected when he's insecure. If he gets scared and runs again, I know it hurts, but just give him time to think. I don't think it'll take him long to come around for you. He's more invested than even he realizes. You've turned his whole world on its head. If things don't work out, they don't, but if they do, it'll be worth the struggle," she said, "I think you're both going to be surprised how far he's willing to go for you."

She took a sip of her wine and gave Eren's hand in hers a little squeeze. "He'll never forgive himself if he let's you go again. Just remember he's not as invincible as he seems."

"After all he's done for me, he deserves a second chance for sure," Eren said, sipping his own wine, "I care about him a lot..."

Eren looked up when he heard the front door open and close.

"Mom, we're here!" an enthusiastic female voice called through the house.

Kuchel's smile widened and she patted his hand before she stood up, "He cares about you a lot too," she assured.

"We're in the kitchen Issy," she called when her daughter's voice rang out and the two dogs barked excitedly while Isabel and Farlan greeted them before the couple made their way into the kitchen.

"So if Nixxy is here, that must mean big bro is here! I got a bone to pick with him. Where is that runt?" A slim young woman with wild red hair and fierce green eyes appeared in the archway, gaze shifting in search of the Alpha in question, but she stilled suddenly when she caught sight of Eren, eyes widening with dangerous curiosity. "Who's your friend mom?"

Kuchel looked over her shoulder from where she was pouring pasta into a pot of boiling water. "Isabel, this is **Eren** ," she introduced with emphasis on the name.

There was a silent moment in which realization struck the redhead and she suddenly gasped dramatically, "It's you! You're **the** Eren. I've been _dying_ to meet you!" she exclaimed as she bounced her way over to the brunette Omega, her mate shaking his head as he followed after her at a much more appropriate pace, obviously the calm to his bonded's exuberance. "I'm Isabel, Issy, Levi's sister, and this here is my bonded Farlan, don't mind him, he's _shy_ ," she said teasingly. She knew who Eren was, had known about him and the apparent affect he'd been having on her older brother since her mother and Farlan had first mentioned him and she had been absolutely dying of curiosity, being the only one of the family who had yet to see or meet the brunette.

"Don't overwhelm him, Issy," Kuchel scolded, throwing her daughter a warning glance before she went back to checking the food on the stove, mixing some pots and adding some things.

Eren smiled broadly. "No, it's okay," he said to Kuchel, "Hi, I'm Eren. It's lovely to meet you! Levi's told me about you, but I'd love to know more."

Isabel didn't even bat a lash at her mother's scolding, plopping down into the seat next to Eren's and clasping her hands to her chest, bouncing a bit with barely contained energy. "Really? I'm so curious about you too! Like what kind of wizard are you?" she asked with a bright grin.

Eren's brows knit in confusion. "Wizard?" he asked, looking from a Kuchel to Farlan for an explanation. Kuchel just rolled her eyes and Farlan gave a shrug, obviously not knowing what his mate was talking about either.

"Well yes, since you enchanted the unenchantable, you must be a powerful wizard," she replied as if it was an entirely logical course of thought, her wide grin still pulled across her mouth. Farlan snorted and shook his head again, turning to help Kuchel gather plates and utensils and tidying up whatever wasn't needed, opting to let Issy have her fun rather than try and restrain her. If Levi was going to be bringing Eren around, then his Omega might as well get used to the redhead sooner rather than later anyways.

Eren grinned crookedly at the redhead and leaned in to whisper, "I'll let you in on my secret." He turned his head from side to side to look like he was making sure no one was listening, then said, "My ass is magic. I've stolen Levi's soul." He leaned back and started to cackle maniacally.

Issy's eyes went comically wide before she too began to laugh. "Oh I like you! We're going to be such great friends, you and I."

"God help us all," Levi's voice rumbled through the room dramatically as he came up the steps, humour and affection underlying his tone and in his gaze as it settled on his sister and his Omega.

Eren rolled his eyes, but reached out for his Alpha. "See, I know you can't really tell, but your brother is now soulless. I'm sorry," he deadpanned to Isabel.

Levi stepped over to Eren when the Omega reached for him and came to stand behind him, settling his hands on Eren's shoulders, massaging lightly. "S'okay. He was gentle about it," Levi assured his sister, lips quirking up in a half grin.

Isabel giggled, "No need to be sorry. We all gotta eat. Now he's one of us. Farlan lost his some time ago and my dad got mom's. I've been after big bro's for years, but he was too good at guarding it. Guess he musta been saving it for you," she replied brightly, watching the affectionate interaction between the unbonded pair with great interest. Her brother was a total goner.

"Guess so," Eren said, looking up at Levi with an affectionate smile and warmth in his eyes.

"Food's ready," Kuchel cheered happily clapping her hands, "Levi, Issy, come help your Ma out and set the table for me while I dish everything up."

Her children grumbled and groaned, but both went to the counter to grab the plates and silverware the Farlan had set out as Kuchel and Farlan set bowls of food on the table.

Brian came up the stairs as the kids were setting the table and moved to take his seat at the far end, kitty corner to Eren. The tall ginger-haired Alpha smiled at him as he greeted him, "It's good to see you again Eren. How's work treating you these days?"

Levi sat in the chair next to his Omega before Isabel could steal it again and stuck his tongue out at her when she pouted and slumped into the chair across from him while Farlan sat across from Eren and began serving his pouting mate when Kuchel took her seat and passed the first bowl of creamy chicken Alfredo parmesan penne to him, serving herself from the other and passing it on to Levi.

The raven Alpha filled his plate with a generous amount before he turned to Eren and scooped some onto his plate, "Tell me when sweetness."

"Work's been alright... Kinda stressful," the Omega said to Brian then looked to Levi. "Um..." Eren said watching the Alpha scoop food onto his plate and instantly got nervous. "When," he said way too soon, barely more than a few bites worth of food on his plate.

"Levi," Kuchel said, eyeing Eren's plate, "Fill his plate up! He looks famished!"

"No, um I'm-" Eren sputtered.

"Nonsense! Fill 'er up, Levi," Kuchel said cheerfully, beginning to start on her own dinner. She had noticed the instant nervousness cross Eren's face. She figured she might as well help the Omega out; conditioning was hard to overcome and Kuchel knew well.

Levi gave Eren a smile of assurance and scooped a few more spoons of pasta onto Eren's plate, not quite filling it, but deeming it to be an adequate amount, like what he remembered the Omega used to eat. He set the bowl back down and reached for the garlic and herb rolls that his mother had made to go with it and put two on each of their plates. He picked up his fork and slipped his other hand under the table to squeeze Eren's thigh supportively. "Eat up sweetness. Ma's Alfredo is the best!"

Issy and Farlan were already digging in, though Isabel was doing so with much more gusto than was necessary, humming her approval loudly. Brian sighed and shook his head, watching his daughter for several moments before he turned to his own plate. He didn't miss Eren's hesitation over the food, but he didn't comment and he didn't watch him for too long, not wanting to make him any more nervous, well aware of the situation from what his mate had told him. And he couldn't help, but be proud of Levi for how he seemed to be handling it. It wasn't an easy process.

Eren took a tentative bite of the pasta and groaned in ecstasy. "Oh my god Kuchel," he said with his mouth full, "It's so good." His eyes rolled back in his head as he started shoveling food in aggressively. When he paused to take a breath, he eyed Levi, "No wonder you can cook!"

"Well aren't you a sweetheart," Kuchel said, beaming. She knew her cooking was magnificent, but it always made her swell with pride for people to gush over it. "Of course Levi can cook! No child of mine would leave my care without knowing how," she said, waving her hand. She glanced over to Isabel and said, "Although Issy's skills leave something to be desired..."

Levi smiled broadly, warm pride spreading through him at the praise from both Eren and his mother and he was grateful that his mother had taught him how to cook. It made it easy to provide for his Omega and it was so satisfying to see Eren enjoying it. He gave Eren's leg another gentle squeeze as he began to eat his own food. "That's because Iz has the attention span of a flea and can't be trusted near anything that produces a flame," he chuckled and avoided the kick that was aimed at him under the table from his sister.

"I don't _need_ to cook. That's what I've got Farlan for. He loves being my slave, you want to take that joy away from him?" Issy replied, grinning toothily and leaning against her bonded who just rolled his eyes and heaved a sigh.

"I prefer the term bonded, slave sounds so medieval," Farlan murmured, a little curl to his mouth.

"Slave _does_ have a certain ring to it," Eren said, his smile stretching devilishly across his face as he nudged Levi with his arm. "How long have you guys been bonded?" Eren asked Isabel, kind of keen on hearing their love story. He always was a romantic.

Levi hummed, "Call me whatever you want sweetness, so long as I'm yours," he said, nudging the Omega back affectionately and winking at him before he turned his attention back to his food.

Issy stopped eating, her plate nearly empty and took a sip of her drink before she answered Eren. "Oh! We've been bonded since January, so not all that long, but we've been together for mm two years?" she said, glancing at Farlan for affirmation. He nodded and glanced at Eren with a smile.

"I didn't give him a choice in the matter either, not that he put up much of a fight," Issy continued with an impish smile, "I would have made him do it sooner too, but he wouldn't until I was at least finished school. Think he was worried because he was my TA until last year."

Brian chuckled, "Farlan's a brave man to have taken you on firefly."

"That's adorable! So romantic," Eren gushed, bouncing in his seat. "So you met in college then? What were you taking?" he asked, genuinely interested in his boyfriend’s sister.

Issy smiled, "I got a degree in social services and a certificate in dynamic sociology so I could work in the fertility and surrogacy clinic. I'm a councillor there," she answered, her eyes sparkling with pride. It was obvious that she loved her job. It was truly rewarding.

"Believe it or not, Farlan was the TA for my Omega studies class; he was literally the only Alpha in the class," she said after a moment, giggling, "I thought he was there just to hit on all us Omegas and told him so... Loudly in front of the whole class."

"I think your brother mentioned that to me when we first met," Eren said, glancing at Levi then back at Isabel. His eyes widened when she told him the story of how they met. "That must've been embarrassing. How did you react?" he asked Farlan, stifling laughter at the image in his mind.

Farlan blinked lazily, "I laughed," he deadpanned.

"He did! And I was so mad, I could have hit him," Issy said, giving her mate a mock angry look and poking him with her elbow. He chuckled and batted her arm away before slipping his own around her shoulders.

"Yeah, she was only mad until I told her I was TAing for the class 'cause I was raised in a same dynamic home. Even though I was a philosophy major, the professor taught both courses and had asked me to do it, thought it'd be a good experience for his class. Then she just wanted to know all about my two moms... She hasn't left me alone since, figured I might as well keep her," Farlan said, humour in his words, but an affectionate smile on his lips.

"I couldn't help it. It was just so interesting. I wanted to do a study on him. It's not everyday you meet an Alpha that was raised by two Omegas," Issy defended, though she was hardly offended.

Eren nodded his head enthusiastically. "That is quite interesting... I never really explored the social sciences outside of a business perspective, but what I was exposed to was interesting... I miss university, but I love my job," Eren explained. "I'm actually infertile myself," Eren continued with a large smile, "You must meet and council a lot of people like me."

Isabel's smile was as large as Eren's, "Oh yes, I council a lot of Omegas with fertility problems and I help them decide the best option for them, whether surrogacy or adoption is a better fit. It's really nice to be able to help people start families."

Eren was warmed by Isabel's enthusiasm. She was doing marvelous work. "So Levi... You and Issy seem really close," Eren started, nudging Levi affectionately, "What happened when your precious baby sister brought Farlan home to meet the family?" He had a feeling that Levi was an overprotective brother.

Farlan choked on his drink and Isabel patted him on the back harshly while she giggled at Eren's question.

Levi leaned back in his chair and wrapped his arm around Eren, a dark grin tugging at his lips. "She didn't bring him home to meet anyone per se... In fact, she kept it a secret for almost a year because when they met, she was under eighteen and lived at home still and she was _supposed_ to be focusing on her education. I met Farlan first and it was entirely unplanned," he said, eyeing the couple across from he and Eren.

Issy was feigning innocence while Farlan turned several shades of red and avoided eye contact. "Farlan _almost_ lost his life. He's just lucky he's such a naïve guy. Apparently, Issy thought the best place to attempt third base with her new boyfriend would be behind her big brother's garage while he wasn't at home," Levi continued and Issy scoffed.

"We were **not** ," she argued, her voice raising in pitch and she puffed her cheeks out and crossed her arms over her chest petulantly, "You got no proof."

"Oh yeah? Farlan was shirtless and his pants were around his ankles. He couldn't even run from me." Levi raised an eyebrow at his sister.

Eren burst out into laughter, clutching his sides as it ripped from his body. He squirmed in his chair as his eyes teared. "How... How the fuck... Did he leave there _alive_?" Eren choked and gasped between giggles.

"He got to live because he was literally the only innocent party in the situation. I showed up to let Nix out during a lunch break and he totally blew their cover. So there I am with this skinny half naked dude pressed up against the back of my garage looking like he's gonna faint or some shit and Issy is fully dressed trying to fucking tell me that there was a fucking bee or something like I'm gonna believe that load. She's spinning this huge tale about how they were just hanging out and then this **bee** crawled into Farlan's shirt and he's literally just standing there all wide-eyed, not even trying to deny a thing. Of course, I'm not buying it, so I ask him why his pants are down if this bee was just in his shirt. Issy says she just wanted to make sure he didn't get stung and at that point, I'm getting pissed off because Farlan doesn't even try to explain what the fuck he's doing **half naked** with **my** sister behind my fucking garage in the middle of the day," he paused, amusement creeping into his voice as Farlan made to clear his throat and shifted in his seat.

"So I just took one step, just one, I didn't even like reach out to grab him or anything and Farlan blurts out that he's a fucking virgin like that explains everything. I didn't even know what to say. Like no Alpha over fifteen is going to openly admit that shit, but I guess if you think you're gonna die... My little sister was practically taking advantage of the guy... I don't even think _he_ knew what was going on, like he actually **believed** there was a fucking bee. It was pathetic; I felt bad for him. I told him to pull up his pants and took the two of them here, dropped them off with Ma and wished them luck. It was punishment enough."

"God, was it ever," Farlan murmured, "I was so fucking scared after, I couldn't even kiss her for months."

Isabel giggled, "Alright fine, I was trying to suck his soul out, if you must know."

"Pfft, where were you planning on sucking it from? You're just fucking lucky I didn't destroy him. His saving grace was that I **know** what you are capable of and his reaction was too humiliating to not have been genuine. You were sexually assaulting the poor guy. He's probably got some form of Stockholm syndrome or something now," Levi retorted, starting to laugh. "He got off pretty easy compared to the other little shits I had to scare off while you were in high school."

Eren continued to laugh throughout Levi's story, and almost couldn't breathe by the end of if. Bright red and still chuckling, he stood up to reach across the table to give Isabel a high five. "Yeahhh get some," he said when the other Omega smacked his hand and gave him a smirk. Eren sat back down and grinned at Levi. "You shouldn't have been so hard on all those little teenage Alphas. What would you have done if you’d met me while I was in high school?" Eren asked with a wicked grin on his face, "And just to let you know I was _a lot_ worse than I am now. You would have had to beat yourself up."

“Sweetness, if I'd've met you in high school, I wouldn't have had to do shit, you're mother would have murdered me for so much as looking at you; I was **a lot** worse then too," Levi replied, giving Eren an affectionate squeeze and returning the Omega's wicked grin with one of his own.

"Mm that is true," Eren said, looking up as he remembered his high school days. "Jean had some pretty close calls... Poor guy... I almost feel bad for him... You know she purposely gave him food poisoning? She said it was an accident but... Well, you know my mom..."

"Ooh," said Kuchel, sounding interested, "It sounds like we would get along!"

Eren laughed and said, "Yeah probably... Maybe too well..."

"Our families should meet sometime," Kuchel suggested, pouring herself another glass of wine, looking between Levi and Eren.

"Um," Eren said, glancing at Levi, "Well... It's a bit early to plan something like that..." He rubbed the back of his head and blushed, looking down, "And I'm honestly afraid of you and my mom joining forces... You'd be unstoppable..."

Kuchel just giggled, an evil glint in her eyes that said Eren was probably right.

Levi chuckled, "The world's definitely not ready for it, but it'll probably happen sooner or later. We'll just make sure we have an escape route sweetness. The rest of the world can fend for itself," he said, relaxed and genuinely amused. He had zero intention of letting Eren go again so really, it was inevitable that the two women would eventually meet.

"It's like we are purposely trying to summon the end of the world by bringing them together," Eren groaned then laughed as Kuchel scrunched her face.

"Oh c'mon, it won't be _that_ bad!" Kuchel protested.

Eren glanced at Levi, then said, "Yeah, it's probably worse than we can imagine."


	25. Reupholstering

The rest of the visit with the Alpha's family was filled with easy conversation, a healthy helping of teasing banter, dessert that should be illegal and more embarrassing stories and photos. By the time they were leaving, it was nearing ten-thirty and Levi wasn't the only one that received hugs and kisses and an invitation for the following week. Eren was given the same treatment as if he was already another member of their family. With Phoenix in tow, the couple left the warmth of Kuchel and Brian's home and went back to Levi's place which was just as warm and comforting and somehow, after spending the evening with Levi's family, Eren could understand where it came from.

There was a fresh toothbrush just for the Omega, blue because it was his favourite colour and in the holder right next to Levi's green as if it had always been there. They both got ready for bed and Levi let Nix out one more time while Eren made himself comfortable in the Alpha's familiar bed.

Levi smiled warmly as his affectionate gaze traveled over the Omega curled up in his bed like he belonged there and the Alpha believed he did, never wanted him to leave. He made his way over to the unoccupied side of the bed and crawled in next to Eren, leaning to light a single candle on his nightstand before flicking the lamp off, the flickering flame casting the loft in dim, but warm light.

“So... Did you have a good time tonight sweetness?” he asked as he propped himself up on one elbow, resting his chin in his palm and looking at the other male, his other hand lazily petting Eren's side over the bedding.

"Yeah... It was a lot of fun," Eren said quietly, still curled in a ball under the covers. "I don't know why you keep saying your family is crazy. I love them," he added with a wide smile, lifting his hand to trail his fingers over Levi's cheek. Sometimes Eren would touch Levi randomly, like he had to make sure he was real and he was there. It was comforting to know that this wasn't a dream.

Levi smiled down at Eren, hand lifting from the Omega's side to grasp the one at his cheek, tugging it to his mouth to press his lips to the palm. "Good... They **are** crazy. You just don't notice 'cause you fit right in," he murmured, a teasing lilt to the tone and he smiled against Eren's palm before he drew it away to thread their fingers together again.

"If I'm so crazy, why do you like me then, hm?" Eren asked, pouting his bottom lip so that his lips wouldn't curl into a smile.

The Alpha chuckled, "Obviously because I'm as crazy as the rest of you. Your crazy compliments mine sweetness," he answered with a cheeky wink. "Hey, do you think you can take a long weekend this weekend. I know it's kinda short notice, but I got another surprise for you I think you'll like."

Eren sat up on his elbow, his gaze narrowing on the Alpha. "Hm... Probably," Eren said with a shrug and looking up as he thought, "I could call in a few favours and they are practically begging me to take time off for all the overtime I've done..." The Omega looked at Levi, studying the Alpha's face. "What kinda surprise? You're just full of surprises the last little while."

Levi's ears burned, pinking with embarrassment. "An out of town kinda surprise, and that's all I'm telling you, otherwise it won't be a surprise at all," he answered, looking bashfully at Eren from beneath his lashes, "I just want to make sure we don't have to rush. I figured Friday to Monday would be nice and you could use a little vacation."

"Mm I am pretty tired," Eren said with a sigh, laying back down and closing his eyes. "Didn't realize how much my body enjoys sleeping and eating until I started to do both regularly... Feels good."

Levi couldn't resist the pull that rose up in him as Eren settled back and closed his eyes, looking so relaxed and comfortable there and the Alpha leaned forward to press his mouth to Eren's tenderly, "S'how it **should** be sweetness," he murmured against the Omega's lips as he reluctantly broke the soft kiss before he couldn't.

Eren's arms snaked around the Alpha's neck before he could pull away. His eyes opened and he looked up at Levi to command, "Kiss me again."

"Mmn," the Alpha hummed, not able to form a viable reason to refuse the demand and leaned back in, shifting his body closer to Eren's and framing his face with his hands. He pressed another kiss to the Omega's bowed lips, parting his own in invitation, the tip of his tongue sneaking a taste while a low almost purring sound rumbled in his chest. Keeping their pace slow was torture when he already knew what he was missing, but he'd been good so far, and he wanted to follow through because it was important to Eren. He wanted him badly, but he restrained himself forcibly because it was vital in proving himself and convincing the Omega of his intentions.

Eren whined into the kiss, arching his body against Levi's as his own tongue darted out to tangle with the Alpha's. The Omega tilted his head to deepen the kiss further, dragging his lips over Levi's as he pressed in, begging for more. He had told Levi that he wanted to go slow, but every time they were connected like this, it was hard to pull away.

Levi groaned, sucking on Eren's tongue, responding instinctively to the plea to continue and he crawled over the Omega beneath the covers, hands slipping down from his face to grope at his sides gently. He revelled in the taste and feel and scent of Eren, his own scent rising with intensity, potent with his want and his devotion. He kept their hips apart for the moment, barely brushing, teasing, but he wasn't going to take any liberties without Eren's express permission and dry humping him was definitely a liberty.

Eren moaned as he moved his lips furiously against Levi's. Trying to tug him closer, Eren wrapped his legs around Levi's hips and pulled, but the Alpha wouldn't move more than a few teasing inches. Levi kept their lip lock at a steady pace and wouldn't let their bodies rub against each other any more than they already were. Eren fell back against the bed, growling in frustration as he glared up at the Alpha. "You're not attracted to me anymore!" he suddenly yelled out the accusation as he simultaneously tried to push Levi off of him.

Levi's eyes went wide with surprise at the sudden outburst from the Omega, confused and a little concerned and he scrambled to keep a hold of Eren when he tried to push him away. He made a sound that was between an anxious whine and a protest before he could form a proper response, murmuring lowly while he framed Eren's face with his hands and met Eren's gaze, "That is so far from the truth sweetness. You're so fucking beautiful, I can barely control myself... Here..." He pressed his hips down on Eren's finally, his breath hitching at the friction on his achingly hard cock. He wet his lips and swallowed hard, unable to completely stop the little motions of his lower half as he rubbed himself against the Omega. "Sweetness, feel what you do to me... You drive me crazy. I just... You want to take things slow, so I don't want to push," he tried to explain, honest desire in his gaze and in his scent.

Eren continued to struggle to get out from underneath Levi until the man pressed their hips together, forcing a small gasp from Eren. As he listened to Levi's explanation, his eyes widened and filled with understanding. He looked down and said, "That makes sense..." His eyes met Levi's briefly before he added, "You always mention how skinny I am... And I could tell you were trying not to touch me and you'd always pull away so soon... When we dated before, you couldn't keep your hands off of me... So I kinda figured that you just weren't attracted to me anymore... I've been eating a ton to gain the weight back, but it takes time and yeah... I guess I was stressing over nothing," Eren rambled as his face turned bright red.

Levi's brows knit together and he brushed his fingers through Eren's hair gently, the motion soothing. "Hey," he cooed softly, "I want you to be healthy again, but don't ever think for a single fucking second that there is anything you could do that would make me lose interest. Your body isn't the only thing that keeps me into you sweetness and I have no complaints. You're perfect as you are." His voice was soft and smooth and he settled firmly on top of the Omega, revelling in the closeness. "I miss your skin so much, it hurts, but I'm trying to do things right this time," he said, ducking down and nosing against the side of Eren's face, pressing kisses along his jaw, so light, they were barely there, reverent and adoring.

Eren's nose wrinkled at the ticklish feeling of Levi's lips ghosting across his face and he sighed. "Doing things right is annoying," Eren whined, nuzzling into Levi's face. "Even though I was the one who asked to take things slow... How slow are we talking? Will I ever get laid again?" he asked, looking at Levi skeptically. He rolled his hips lightly against Levi's, feeling the hardness of the Alpha's erection, and smiled cheekily up at Levi.

Levi hummed, the deep sound echoing in his chest as Eren shifted against him and he closed his eyes, rolling his hips back against the Omega's, unable to resist. "As slow as you want sweetness. You've always been the boss. I'm the willing slave, remember. I certainly hope you'll be getting laid again, so long as I get to be the one laying with you. I don't care when. Just wanna be with you," he replied huskily, opening his eyes halfway to stare at the Omega heatedly while slipping his hands back down along Eren's body to grope at his sides and hips, kneading flesh and bone appreciatively.

Eren shuddered as Levi touched him and melted into the Alpha's steady hands as his eyes fell shut. How many nights had Eren dreamt about these hands? How many times had he cried over the thought of never feeling them again? It was enough to make him cry now, but he held it in. "I wanna be with you too," Eren sighed with happiness, "So much so that my judgement is clouded... I haven't made you prove anything and here I am, already addicted to your touch..." Eren peeked one eye open and said teasingly, "If I chose another Alpha, you'd probably just beat them up," then giggled.

Levi growled in response to the teasing. "You would do it just to see me punch someone again, you rotten tease... Mm, I'm addicted to **you** , and it's almost unbearable to restrain myself, but I don't want to fuck this up... You're worth the ache sweetness and even if you can't trust your own judgement, I'd never take advantage. I'll protect you even from myself if I have to," he said seriously, still touching Eren and rocking against him in slow, rhythmic motions that did nothing, but taunt the both of them; it was torture, but it was sweet torture. "I'd ask what you want as proof, but I think it defeats the purpose. If I do it on my own, it means more... It's more honest."

"Mm I would... But I don't want to see you get hurt again," Eren said, running his hands up and down the smooth muscles on Levi's back. Eren let Levi move against him, shooting heat throughout his body. "Even if you asked... I wouldn't know what to tell you... I just need some way to know you won't do that to me again," Eren whispered, ducking his head into Levi's neck for comfort, "I won't make it through that a second time..."

The Alpha crooned low and husky, pushing his hands up under the too large t-shirt the Omega was wearing, caressing palms and fingers over the smooth skin of Eren's torso as he tilted his head to allow Eren access to his throat. "I'll find a way sweetness. I can't miss you like that again either," he paused, the gentle rolling motions of his hips slowing and coming to a reluctant stand still, his erection throbbing angrily between his thighs, but he ignored it in favour of mouthing along Eren's collarbone to the base of his neck where he nipped lightly and pressed open mouthed kisses. He could smell and feel Eren's arousal and his anxiety. "Eren... Will you... Can I take care of you? Let me show you how precious you are," he murmured in a near whisper against the damp skin, voice thick with emotion, arousal and strained with nerves. He wanted Eren to be sure that Levi wanted him, wanted to give him proof that he was every bit as attracted to him as he'd ever been, but he wasn't going to push too far and he didn't intend to have Eren reciprocate. If he did, Levi didn't think he would be able to hold back and he desperately wanted to until it was right, but that didn't mean he couldn't at least make the Omega feel good, desirable, and beautiful, like the princess he was. He deserved to be pampered and treasured after everything.

Eren whined and squirmed as Levi kissed his neck and ran his hands over his skin. Every touch almost burned him as heat coursed through Eren's body, making him pant. "Mm, yes, please," Eren gasped, looking at Levi with dilated eyes, his scent thick with arousal and desire.

Levi smiled and moved to kiss Eren on the mouth again as he bunched the shirt up under the Omega's arms, smoothing his palms over his chest, thumbing over his nipples teasingly, the fleshy little nubs peaking beneath his touch and he hummed his approval. He was dizzy with the scent pouring off the other male as he kissed him deeply, slow and filled with heat, wanting him so badly and conveying it with every motion, every touch and panted breath, caress of tongue and teeth and it was clear in his scent. It was longing and affectionate, thick with arousal and possession, protective and potent as it weaved with Eren's familiarly.

He drew away from the Omega's mouth with deliberate slowness and kissed a searing path along Eren's jaw to the other side of his neck, kissing, nipping and licking his way down, pausing to massage the glands on his throat with his tongue and greedily lap up the sweet oils that the stimulation encouraged from the writhing male beneath him.

“Ah,” Eren cried out when Levi teased his scent gland, making his scent rise up even more from his body. The Omega couldn't control it even if he tried. It smelled like happiness, arousal, and, no matter how Eren felt about continuing their relationship, it reeked of desperation for a claim. When Eren smelt it himself, he tried to rein it in, stuttering an apology to Levi. “I'm s-sorry… Can't help it… I missed you so bad…”

"Shh... No apologies sweetness. I know... I can't give it to you yet, but I want to, okay? So don't be sorry, I told you, I'm changing and temporary isn't enough anymore," Levi murmured in a guttural and husky voice, heated breath whispering over moist skin with his words before he was pressing more kisses and leaving a trail of dark red marks over the Omega's throat and collar, ducking lower to spread more over his chest. His own scent curling around Eren's, ferocious with possessiveness and full of promise in response to the begging of the Omega's. His hands ran over either side of Eren's rib cage to frame his too small waist, palming at his more muscled belly.

Eren was still sharp and thinner than he had been, but he was starting to gain some of the weight he'd lost back and Levi was pleased for it. He wanted the healthy firm plumpness and smooth skin over subtle musculature that had attracted him to the feisty Omega in the first place, but he didn't find the current state of him to be disgusting or less beautiful. He just wanted the happy, confident and glowing Omega he'd first met back and he was going to do absolutely everything he could to make it happen. It was starting, more showing through with every moment they spent getting reacquainted and the more Eren began to believe him. He didn't mind; he was going to make Eren understand how serious he was, how much Levi wanted him not just for now or a while, but forever if the Omega would let him.

Where Levi's hands went, his mouth followed, winding teasing paths over soft golden skin, alternately tracing intricate patterns with the tip of his tongue and lapping up sweet sweat with wide swaths with the flat of it, pausing now and again to nibble on a protrusion of bone or suck a new mark onto the brunette's chest. He sucked a peaked and arousal flushed nipple into his mouth and worried it lightly between his teeth before an apologetic tongue took their place, low thrumming purrs of appreciation rolling from his own chest.

"Don't... Don't say things you don't mean just because I want to hear them," Eren gasped, still trying to stifle his own scent and failing. He almost wanted to push Levi away, but he couldn't; instead, Eren pulled him closer, rubbing his scent on the man in his own form of claim. In this moment, everything he'd held back was being released; all the times he couldn't touch or kiss or let himself want Levi were pouring out of him. In this moment, the fact that he still didn't trust Levi fully was irrelevant, and he realized that no matter how much he'd convinced himself he had let Levi go, he obviously had not. Eren loved Levi every bit as much as he had the day he'd confessed to him on the Ferris wheel. It never went away. He had just packed it away deep inside himself where it wouldn't hurt him anymore and now it was breaking free.

Levi shuddered as Eren's scent settled on his skin and he pulled away enough to meet the other male's gaze with his own, pupils dark and wide with a thin ring of mercury bordering them, and they were warm and determined and full of emotions that the Alpha hadn't yet voiced, but felt in the core of himself. And it ached that Eren didn't believe him, but that was only for now.

"You wanted to hear it before and I never said it then... Because I didn't mean it then. I mean it now. I'm not ready yet, but it's there. You don't have to believe me, but I'm not going to stop saying it until you do sweetness," Levi's voice was low, husky and smoky, thick with his own desire and the honesty behind his words. He meant them. He was still afraid and nervous of the pull and the idea of giving into it, but he knew it was something Eren wanted and would always want no matter what he'd said in the past or in the future and he was worth facing Levi's uncertainties; to have him was worth the risk.

He scented Eren just as heavily, their scents mingling to an intense potency that left the Alpha's head fuzzy and his heart racing, body throbbing with the pounding of his heartbeat, but he didn't give in, returning to exploring the expanse of Eren's belly instead, pressing a spiralling ring of kisses around his navel before nipping at it teasingly, fingertips brushing along the waistband of Eren's underwear, dipping beneath to grope his ass as his thumbs massaged at prominent hipbones, appreciative, coaxing and warning. "I want to taste you sweetness; it's been far too long since I've had you on my tongue," he murmured breathily, desire dark gaze veiled by darker lashes as he looked upwards to the Omega for permission.

Eren moaned loudly and arched his back when Levi's hands squeezed the bare skin of his ass. His whole body shuddered as slick started to form, unable to resist the pheromones that Levi was giving off. Eren's eyes widened with shock, not having slicked in so long, finally noticing that Levi was asking for his permission to continue. He nodded his head slightly as he bit his lip, wiggling his hips in anticipation.

Levi hummed, licked his lips and dropped his gaze once permission had been granted and he could smell the slick that began to accumulate. He panted harshly and his hands shook a little as he gently maneuvered and tugged the Omega's boxer briefs down, breath hitching when Eren's cock bobbed out, twitching with anticipation. He swallowed against a sudden excess of saliva in his mouth as he eyed the stiffness, one hand shifting from Eren's hip to curl around the base and slowly stroke up then down again, head dipping to press the flat of his tongue to the underside of the tip, lapping up the precum that had gathered and begun to drip down. He groaned lowly and closed his lips around the mushroomed head, swirling his tongue over it intently and applying soft suction. His other hand crawled up the underside of one smooth golden thigh and coaxed it up and out so he had more room to move between Eren's legs. Fingertips trailed ticklishly over the soft skin and further down to teasingly fondle the soft sac and slicked crevice beneath.

"Ah... Hah," Eren breathed, his hips stuttering as he tried not to thrust deeper into Levi's mouth. "Levi," he whined, "Don't tease me... I want... I want you so bad..." His hands moved from clutching the bed sheets to thread in Levi's hair, careful not to pull too hard.

Levi pulled back, a soft popping noise sounding as he released the head of Eren's cock, licking his reddened and glistening lips before he murmured, "Yeah? Don't hold back then sweetness. I can take it." Then he was ducking down again, taking Eren back into his mouth and relaxing his throat, mindful of his teeth and stiffening his tongue against the underside while his teasing fingers slid in between the slippery cheeks of the Omega's ass and dipped inside. A low muffled hum vibrated through his chest as he felt how wet Eren had become, fingers slipping back out and then in further, repeating the motion until he was plunging them all the way in to the knuckles, curling and wiggling them in search of the spongy little bundle of nerves that would make the Omega gasp.

Eren hesitated a moment before he thrust tentatively into Levi's mouth. "Oh f-fuck," Eren breathed, his eyes watching his dick disappear into Levi's mouth. When Levi's fingers dipped deeper into his twitching and empty feeling hole, he hissed and he continued to rock in and out of Levi's mouth. Soon the probing fingers found his prostate, making him gasp and cry out in ecstasy. "Levi," he sang, drooling and dazed from pleasure; the sensations were almost too much to bear after being neglected for so long.

The Alpha made more encouraging humming sounds and swallowed around Eren's cock, breathing heavily through his nose, eyes open barely more than slits as his head swam, high on his Omega. He slid his unoccupied hand beneath Eren's back, fingers spreading against the dip, supporting and urging him to arch further. He rocked his fingers in and out of Eren, plunging them in roughly and mercilessly massaging at the Omega's prostate before pulling them back out to the tips and repeating the entire process over again.

His own hips stuttered and pressed desperately against the bedding just to get a little friction, a little relief. Eren tasted so good, smelled so good, and sounded so fucking sinful.

Eren's thrusts became erratic as he was pushed closer and closer to completion, crying out with every touch to his prostate. It wasn't long before he pressed as deeply as he could down Levi's throat and came with a scream, tears threatening to fall at the overwhelming burst. He twitched and panted as his body went limp under the Alpha, the flame of his desire sated for now.

The Alpha moaned as Eren fucked his mouth, thrusts harsh and erratic and his own rutted harder against the bedding, shuddering and stiffening when Eren arched and screamed, starting to cum and Levi creamed his sweats unexpectedly from the intense satisfaction of pleasuring the Omega after so long without.

Levi's throat bobbed as he swallowed greedily, pulling off Eren's cock slowly, licking his lips once he'd released the softening member. He pulled his fingers from the clenching entrance, licking them clean and dipping down to lap up the excess slick while Eren shuddered and caught his breath.

He twitched with aftershocks of his own climax as he finally pulled away, smoothing his hands up and down Eren's trembling thighs, situating them comfortably as he sat up. He wriggled out of his soiled sweatpants, wiping himself off quickly and tossing them in the general direction of the hamper before he crawled back up next to the Omega. He pulled the covers back over the both of them and curled his arm around Eren's waist, pressing himself along the length of the Omega's body. "So beautiful," he breathed huskily against the side of Eren's neck, pressing his lips there reverently and closing his eyes.

Eren's hitched breaths soon calmed as he settled beside his Alpha, purring with happiness. He turned his head to kiss Levi on the forehead then leaned further down to capture the man's lips, a thank you on his tongue as he tasted himself.

Eren tangled their legs together and snuggled closer to Levi as he sighed, eyes already drooping as he drifted off to sleep.

***

Levi spent the following day while Eren was at work shopping for their trip. He dropped his truck off for an oil change and wandered through the mall while he was waiting, picking up some beach towels and sunscreen and window shopping to pass the time. As he was passing a little local store that had windows full of unique and eclectic items, something caught his eye and he stopped, staring at it in debate for several seconds before he shook his head and continued on his way only to turn back around moments later and before he could talk himself out of it, he went inside the little shop and bought it.

He was nervous with it in his hand and had to tuck it into the inner pocket of his denim jacket so that he would stop looking in at what he'd impulsively bought and trying to convince himself that it wasn't a terrible idea. He ran his hands through his hair repeatedly, but managed to distract himself from it eventually once he headed home. Eren was supposed to be meeting him there with his clothes for the weekend so that they could leave early the next day.

The memory from the night before made his skin heat and he felt confident that the weekend would be perfect. Maybe Eren would believe him by the time they were coming home on Monday, especially if Levi actually worked up the nerve to give him the impulsive gift he'd purchased for him.

They spent the night watching movies and cuddling and Levi managed to keep his jitters to a minimum. He had never been so nervous in his life as he was for the weekend away. He'd never done anything like it with any Omega before and he knew that Eren would love the surprise, but he was still nervous.


	26. Blueprints for Beloved

The next morning was an early start and they packed up the truck, Levi having been sure to tuck away any of the items that might give away where he was taking the Omega carefully ahead of time and he double checked that he had the keys and the little black box still tucked in his pocket while Eren buckled Nix into the backseat for the trip. Once sure he had everything, they were on their way.

They picked up coffee and breakfast before they got on the road and half an hour later, his Omega was asleep and propped comfortably against him across the seat. Levi didn't mind; he let him sleep and simply sang along quietly with the radio and unconsciously pet the other male while he drove. It only took perhaps three hours to get to the beach house that Levi's parents owned.

It was a beautiful little cabin, light wood with a little deck equipped with comfortable loungers and a table with a large sun flowered umbrella. There were chimes and flowering bushes and stained glass windows. Inside was simple, light wood floors and cloud grey tiling, pastel walls and sheer, billowing curtains, open concept kitchen and living area with a little table for two tucked against the far wall of the kitchen, and a single bedroom with attached bathroom. Everything was clean and beautifully decorated. A perfect, quiet place for a romantic weekend getaway and several yards of white sand beach sprawling behind the little home leading to the fire pit set up closer to the water's edge.

Levi nudged Eren gently, "Hey sweetness, we're here," he murmured softly, watching the Omega intently as he slowly woke up, curious and maybe just a little nervous of what Eren's reaction would be.

Eren woke slowly, blinking his eyes as he stretched, his body a bit sore from sleeping in the truck even though Levi made a great pillow. He gave Levi a sleepy smile then looked out the window to see where they were. His eyes widened in shock and he looked back at Levi then back to the ocean view.

"Oh my god!" Eren squealed in excitement, unbuckling himself in haste to scramble out the door and stand at the beginning of the sand. He was silently happy he'd decided to wear a blue comfy sundress and sandals to be cozy in the truck as he jumped up and down. "This is amazing," he turned to call to Levi who was getting out of the truck at a much slower pace, "You remembered I love the ocean!"

Levi let Phoenix out of the back of the truck before he made his way over to Eren, slipping an arm around his waist and nosing his shoulder affectionately. "Of course I remembered sweetness. I remember everything about you," he replied, pressing a kiss to the tanned skin. "So you like your surprise?" he asked though the answer was obvious, a cheeky lilt to his tone, eyes warm and pale snow cloud grey in the sun, sparkling as he watched Eren from his peripheral vision.

“I love it, I love it, I love it," Eren squealed, turning to smooch Levi all over his face, and then give him a giant hug that almost knocked him over. "How did you manage to book a place like this on such short notice? It must have cost you a fortune," Eren said, nosing into Levi's neck, but still vibrating with excitement.

"Nope," the Alpha replied, popping the 'p' and giving Eren a devilish little grin, "Didn't have to book it and I only had to pay with my company for an evening," he said, nipping at the Omega's shoulder lightly, teasing as he held the vibrating brunette.

Eren frowned in confusion a second or two before it clicked. It must be Levi’s parents' beach house. Eren's smile turned crooked and he said teasingly, "Don't tell me you sold your knot for a beach house weekend? While I'm flattered, I really don't want to pimp you out for vacations..." He began to giggle immediately, laughing at his own joke.

Levi rolled his eyes and leaned up to nip at Eren's lips. "No, nothing illegal. Besides, how would I do that when I only get a knot with you in the first place? It's my mom and Brian's. I've stayed here a few times before, but never with anyone. I just thought you'd appreciate it and we did say we should take a trip to the ocean sometime," he murmured, ears burning and turning an endearing shade of pink. He gave Eren's waist a squeeze. "It's just us here, all weekend, the closest neighbours are half a kilometer away. You wanna see inside?"

“No neighbours huh? Oh god… Please don’t be a serial killer… I'm too pretty to die,” Eren said dramatically, swooning in Levi’s arms, forcing the man to hold him up. He batted his eyelashes up at the man as a smile threatened to spread across his face while he was kept from the ground by Levi’s strong arms. “I think it’s only proper for you to carry me across the threshold,” Eren said, snaking his arms around the Alpha’s neck to entice him into picking the Omega up.

Levi chuckled. "Definitely too pretty, mm, I was just thinking we don't have to worry about noise complaints," he said, lowering his lashes as he peered at the Omega in his arms. He pulled out the keys from his pocket and hoisted Eren up bridal style, cradling him against his chest before he set off up the few steps, Phoenix close behind them. It took a little maneuvering, but he managed to get the door unlocked and stepped inside when the door swung open to admit them to the simplistic and cozy little vacation home.

He gave Eren a squeeze and nuzzled the side of his neck, "You want to look around while I unpack the truck?"

Eren squirmed in Levi’s arms so that the Alpha would put him down as he peered around the house. “Wow, it's beautiful,” Eren said, voice filled with awe before he turned back to Levi. “You sure you don’t need help?” he asked, not wanting to make Levi do all the work.

“Mm, you can unpack the clothes and stuff if you like. I'll bring them in first before I unpack the food," Levi suggested with a warm smile and brushed his fingers through Eren's hair briefly before he stepped back out to do as he'd said, handing the packed clothing and toiletries off to Eren and directing him to the bedroom before he disappeared again to retrieve the groceries he'd brought along.

Eren made quick work of the clothes, putting them neatly into the closet knowing that Levi liked things organized and wouldn’t be able to relax if Eren did a half-assed job. He also lined up all the toiletries in the bathroom then went to the kitchen to watch Levi stock the fridge. “You brought a lot of food,” Eren observed, leaning against a cupboard as he watched Levi work, “Still trying to fatten me up, I see.”

Levi looked over his shoulder from his crouched position in front of the open refrigerator, with a raised brow and a half smirk on his lips, "Are you complaining?"

“Mm,” Eren hummed like he was thinking about the question, “No… But I could… Complaining is one of my specialties… Along with fucking.” He winked at Levi cheekily then asked, “What’s the plan for the rest of the day?… I didn’t know we were coming to the beach so I didn’t pack my swimsuit. Guess I'll have to swim in my underwear or naked…”

"Whatever you want sweetness. I'm definitely not complaining about those options," the Alpha replied, heat in his gaze as he straightened up and turned towards the Omega. "We can have a bonfire later if you like. I even brought marshmallows," he said a moment later, "And there's a little town like twenty minutes away that we can explore if you want in the next couple days. This weekend is for you so it's your choice sweetness."

"Maybe," Eren said, thinking about his options, "But it's nice to be here alone with you... Well and Nix." Eren took the Alpha's hand within his own and squeezed, giving Levi a bright smile. "I haven't cooked marshmallows over a fire in _years_. The last time I went, me and Jean got in a huge fight and I may have accidentally pushed him into the fire... He didn't get hurt or anything, but he's refused to go camping with me since," Eren babbled, recalling the memory fondly.

Levi squeezed the hand holding his back and used the grip to pull Eren in against him, looping his arms around his waist loosely, watching him and smiling a little. "We can stay here swimming and lazing in bed the whole weekend if you want sweetness. I'm here to be with you," he said lightly before he rumbled a little growl at the mention of Jean. "Well, I'll just have to go camping with you from now on instead."

"I'll try not to push you into any fires then," Eren said with a giggle before he leaned down to give Levi a kiss as he ran his hands up and down the Alpha's back. "What do you wanna do first?" Eren asked when he pulled away.

Levi chuckled, "I appreciate it sweetness." He hummed into the kiss and kneaded Eren's hips when he pulled away. "Mm, lunch first, then swimming?" he suggested lazily, tilting his head a little as he traced the Omega's face with his eyes, admiring him and how genuinely happy he looked at the moment.

Eren and Levi spent the whole day on the beach after lunch, building a giant sandcastle, looking for shells, and playing fetch with Nix with a long piece of driftwood. Eren even surprised Levi by ripping off his dress and sprinting to dive into the ocean in just his lacy white panties, giving the Alpha quite the view.

They had watched the sunset on the horizon of the ocean and now they were walking along the beach barefoot, hand in hand as they looked at the stars lighting up the night sky.

"It's so pretty," Eren breathed, not wanting to disturb the peaceful sound of the waves breaking over the sand. They continued their walk even though they were now quite a distance away from the beach house.

The Alpha glanced over at the other male and smiled lazily. "It is, but not as pretty as you sweetness," he said with a cheeky wink and a squeeze to Eren's hand. He noticed the brunette shiver as a cool sea breeze tousled his hair and he slipped the jacket he'd thought to throw on earlier off and thoughtlessly draped it over the Omega's shoulders, completely forgetting about the little black box that was tucked into the inner pocket, more concerned with making sure Eren was comfortable. "You looked a little chilly," he excused as he tugged Eren against his side, bumping his hip playfully with his own.

"Thanks," Eren said with a warm smile, holding onto the jacket with one hand as he squeezed Levi's hand with the other. His brows furrowed when something in the pocket bumped against him. Eren reached his hand into the inner pocket without thinking and pulled out a little black box. He immediately stopped in his tracks, looking at the box curiously. "What's this?" he asked Levi when the man turned to see why Eren had stopped walking.

The Alpha's eyes went comically wide and his mouth opened without sound for a moment, suddenly very nervous. His ears burned intensely and he shifted his weight. "It's uh for you actually. It's not anything fancy, but when I saw it, I thought of you," he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck and looking to the side almost shyly.

Inside the box was a necklace, a simple winged key with a little message charm attached, dangling from a thin, soft leather strap. It wasn't anything overly intricate and it wasn't shiny or inlaid with precious stones, but it was so perfect for his Omega. He swallowed hard as realization struck. When Eren saw it, when he read the little message, "I feel about you makes my heart long to be free," he'd surely know how Levi felt about him. The Alpha hadn't had the courage to tell him yet, and he'd planned to hopefully do it sometime during their stay, nervous that maybe it was too soon, that Eren might not believe him, but he supposed now was as perfect a time as any.

He worried his bottom lip between his teeth as his gaze flickered to Eren's face, "Go ahead and open it sweetness."

Slowly, Eren opened the little box, peering inside to see a [key pendant](http://www.mensicon.com/shop/wp-content/themes/shopperpress/thumbs/angel-wing-key-pendant-necklace-thumb.jpg) on a corded leather necklace. "Oh wow," Eren whispered, taking the jewelry out to look at it as his smile pulled impossibly wide on his face, tucking the box back into the jacket absently. "It's beautiful. I love it." The Omega looked closer and noticed a charm that carried a message and read it out loud, "I feel about you... Makes my heart long to be free..." He immediately looked at Levi, a question in his gaze, obviously asking if there was deeper meaning to this necklace. Obviously, it could be symbolic, or it could be just a necklace the Alpha thought he would like. Eren didn't want to be presumptuous.

Levi shifted his toes in the sand. "Yeah, it kinda hurts actually like my chest isn't big enough for it or something... Shit, I'm no good at this," he mumbled, fidgeting nervously, ears burning and rosy even in the starlight, "I know you aren't sure and you think I might be lying, but I really am changing... **You've** changed me. I should've never let you go to begin with and I'm sorry I took so long to realize it, but I... I'm pretty sure I'm in love with you." His eyes flickered to Eren and away again quickly as he swiftly continued, "I know it's a little late and at the same time, it's probably too soon, I dunno why I bought the necklace; I just had to when I saw it. I want you to think of it like a promise. I'm gonna let you in and when I'm not scared anymore, I'm going to give you forever if you want it."

Eren's breath hitched and his eyes widened at Levi's explanation, standing frozen as the Alpha fidgeted in front of him. "You... You love me?" Eren whispered, his hands clutching the necklace and bringing it to his chest like it was something very precious and in a way it was; it was the key to Levi's heart.

Levi looked up at the Omega through his lashes, nodding his head a little. "Yeah sweetness. It's gotta be you. There was always something about you and now I know... I don't want to miss another chance to tell you. I love you Eren. Please say you'll let me keep you," he said, voice so quiet, it could have been blown away on the breeze, but they were close enough together on the starlit beach, he knew Eren would hear it.

Tears formed in Eren's eyes and they spilled out over the Omega's cheeks as he trembled, but his smile never fell from his mouth. He knew from the look in Levi's eyes that the Alpha meant every word. Levi loved him. It was even being broadcast by the Alpha's scent right now. And it felt so good to be loved, to have his love returned. It felt so _right_.

"I love you too," Eren replied, nodding his head as his body quaked, "I never stopped... I couldn't let you go no matter how hard I tried..." Eren gave a watery chuckle as he sniffled, wiping away his tears of happiness. He leaned forward to put his hands on Levi's chest although he was still clutching the necklace and pressed his forehead against Levi's. "I'm **yours** ," he said, gazing into Levi's eyes to try and convey the truth of his words. He would always be Levi's. Eren was never anyone else's.

Levi let out a shaky laugh, relief washing through him as the nervousness bled out of him and he slid his arms around Eren, drawing him in even as he stepped forward to meet him. "And I'm yours," he murmured, meeting Eren's eyes and not looking away as his scent curled around them, enveloping the Omega with possessive adoration. He tilted his head to press his lips to Eren's in a tender kiss that was both soft and electric, filled with heat and so much more that he didn't have words for and he couldn't help, but pull Eren closer even though there was hardly space for breath between them. But that was alright, Levi wasn't afraid of drowning.

Eren kissed Levi back, wrapping his arms around Levi's neck and mashing their bodies together. His kiss was burning, filled with longing and passion, trying to convey how much he loved Levi. Pulling back, he kissed Levi's lips once, then twice, then a third time, before he leaned away to pull the leather cord over his head to wear the key over his heart. "Say it again," he whispered to Levi, his eyes twinkling like the stars above them as his tears continued to fall in a steady stream.

Levi kissed Eren with just as much passion, holding him tight and refusing to lose contact with the Omega when Eren pulled back. His hands stayed glued to the brunette's sides, watching Eren slip the necklace on and feeling his chest tighten further at the sight. It was so satisfying to have his Omega accept his gift and his feelings. His instincts were going haywire with pride and wanting, pleased to finally have what they'd been begging him for for months.

When Eren made his request, Levi smiled and pressed in for another kiss, murmuring against his lips, "I love you Eren."

Eren squealed and bounced in Levi's arms, happiness pouring off of him in waves. He continued for a few moments before he was panting, looking at Levi with a bright smile. "Race you back to the house?" he challenged, lifting his hands to wipe the tears from his eyes again.

The Alpha grinned, "Alright sweetness, I'll give you a head start," he agreed, eyes dancing with desire and mischief. He didn't mind chasing Eren. Not one bit.

***

As soon as the Omega took off, Levi bolted after him, the both of them stumbling along over the sand and laughing. Levi chased Eren all the way back to the beach house and caught him just before they reached the back deck, scooping him into his arms and spinning him around. "Got you princess," he murmured breathlessly.

Eren squeaked and laughed as he clung to Levi. "I love you, I love you, I love you," he yelled, like he was trying to get it out of his system, "It feels so good to say it." Eren felt like he would spontaneously combust from all the happiness inside of him.

Levi nuzzled behind Eren's ear and brushed his neck along the other male's, scenting him and himself heavily. "I've never been so happy to hear it sweetness. I love you too. You've completely ruined me for anyone else. They'd never be you," he replied quietly, giving the Omega another squeeze. He had dreaded hearing the words once and now he was elated to receive them and proud to be able to say them in return. It made his heart skip and beat twice as hard for it, butterflies fluttering in his belly, excited and giddy in a way he'd never experienced before. And he couldn't stop touching Eren, couldn't feel him enough.

“Levi, I love you," Eren said once again, turning his head to kiss the man as he slowly slipped down in his arms to stand once again. He moved his lips across the Alpha's, savouring the taste of his mouth, as his hands started to roam Levi's body. He kneaded at the firm muscle of Levi's chest then went lower to trace his flexing abs. His fingers found the hem of Levi's shirt and lifted it to feel the smooth warmth of the Alpha’s skin.

Eren deepened the kiss with a turn of his head, his tongue licking into Levi's mouth to tease as his body rolled seductively against the Alpha. Eren pulled back to murmur against Levi's lips, "I love you, I want you... Please?" He begged Levi with his scent and with his eyes, pleading with the man to take him.

Levi met the begging gaze, shuddering in response to the Omega's words, muscles tensing and relaxing under the touch of Eren's hands. He slid his own along the other male's sides to his back to grope at his backside with firm gentleness. "I want you too sweetness," he replied thickly, the proof of his desire throbbing between his thighs and straining against the confines of his shorts as he pressed back against the Omega. He inhaled deeply, savouring the scent of Eren's desperate wanting and his own flared in answer, promising to give Eren everything and anything he wanted, possessive devotion and intense with the need to claim his Omega, to show him just how precious he was.

Abruptly, he used his grip on the brunette's backside to hitch him up, encouraging Eren to wrap his legs around his waist so that the Alpha could carry him inside, mouth seeking the skin of his neck and throat instinctively.

Eren immediately wrapped his legs around the Alpha’s waist as he arched his back to thrust his ass harder into Levi's hands. He nosed into Levi's neck and started to suck on Levi's scent gland, making it produce more of the oil for Eren to lap up making his tongue tingle. "You taste so good," Eren moaned against Levi's skin, becoming high off the Alpha's pheromones.

Levi hummed gutturally in agreement as he sucked and nibbled at Eren's collar, kneading his ass with his hands appreciatively. He moved then, stepping up the few stairs onto the deck blindly, narrowly avoiding stepping on Phoenix who was lounging on the dog pillow Levi had brought for him and slipping inside the open patio doors that lead into the bedroom.

Once inside, he **had** to press Eren up against the closest wall and devour his mouth as if it had been too long since he'd last tasted it and it had; even seconds seemed too long at the moment. How had he been living without Eren's kisses for so long?

Levi ran his hands along Eren's thighs, up under the dress he was wearing to palm at his hips, guiding them to meet his own as he ground his erection against the Omega's backside. "Fuck, I missed you so much sweetness... You feel so right. I feel like I can breathe again," he panted heatedly against Eren's lips.

An intense shudder swept through Eren's body when Levi rubbed his clothed erection against the Omega's ass. Along with Levi's heady scent, in the air, covering his body, and on his tongue, Eren began to slick for his Alpha as his eyes rolled back in his head. This was perhaps the most intensely aroused Eren had ever felt; about to make love with his Alpha for the first time. He recognized the change in Levi, the love the Alpha felt for the Omega, and it made all the difference.

He whined in frustration as he tugged on his dress. Eren didn't want anything between them; needed to be laid bare and feel Levi's skin on his own. He reached down and yanked his dress up and over his head, throwing it randomly in the darkness of the room, now only wearing white lacy panties before his Alpha. The blush on his face had crawled down his neck and coloured his chest as his little pink nipples stood erect from Levi's teasing.

"Clothes off," Eren demanded breathily, yanking on Levi's shirt enough to stretch the material, "Need to feel you."

The Alpha growled, hard-pressed to remove his mouth from Eren's skin or his nose from his neck even though he very much agreed that they needed to be rid of the barriers between them. He tore himself away from the sweetness of the Omega's throat and jerked his shirt off over his head and swiftly tugged his shorts and underwear down, letting them pool at his feet, stepping out of them and kicking them aside, too engrossed in his Omega to care about where their clothing landed.

His fingers danced along the sides of smooth thighs and back to the ribbons that tied the panties on at Eren's hips, nimbly tugging the little bows free. He teasingly pulled the lacy material free from between the press of their lower bodies, groaning when his aching cock finally slid between slick cheeks, the scent of Eren's arousal driving him wild with desire. "Feel me sweetness... Feel how much I need you... Fuck, I need you, I love you," his words came out strained, breathy and quick, desperate to be said and tumbling from his lips before he couldn't resist the need to have them on the Omega again.

Panting with little sighs of pleasure escaping his mouth, Eren rocked his hips, rubbing his slick, twitching entrance back and forth over the blunt head of Levi's cock. "I'm so wet... All for you... Only for you," Eren moaned into Levi's collar as he sucked marks into the pale skin. "I need you too... Put it in Levi... Please... I need you inside," he begged, tightening his legs around Levi's waist, trying to pull him closer.

Levi tilted his head to the side to give the Omega better access to his throat and felt electricity shiver down his spine as Eren's slippery entrance teased against the head of his thick cock. He groaned lowly in his throat, the sound vibrating through his chest as his hips jerked in response to the begging.

He curled one hand around the Omega's right thigh, fingers firm on the flesh, supporting Eren's weight against the wall while his other held the base of his cock so that he could steady it. He rolled his hips in a languid, slow thrust, pressing inside the Omega by inches, a husky guttural near whine sounding from his chest while his scent mingled heavily with Eren's in the air around them. He dipped his head, aggressively burying his face against Eren's neck, mouthing desperately over his scent gland, bruising the soft slick skin with his teeth and lips. Everything inside of him was drawing him to Eren and he didn't fight it, welcoming the need instead.

It was okay to want Eren like this; it was okay to give in. He didn't have to bond him yet, but when he did, it was going to be alright because it was Eren and Eren had always been different for Levi. All the others before him hadn't been enough to change him, had been missing some vital quality that the Alpha hadn't even realized he was craving, but Eren had it and Levi was changing for him because he was sure now; he wouldn't be able to live without it. And it came out in his scent, sea salt citrus strong with deeply embedded desire and instinctive promise that no longer had to war with his wants because Levi wanted the same. And he was still scared, but it wasn't always going to be that way. He wanted forever with Eren.

"Ah!" Eren cried out as Levi inched in, his hole fluttering at the intrusion. His head rolled back on his shoulders, bumping into the wall behind him. "Fuck... You're so big... It's been too long... Levi," Eren hissed, his nails digging into the skin on Levi's back leaving long red trails. "C'mon Alpha, deeper! Fill me up, take me, break me... I'm **yours** forever," he encouraged, gasping for air as their hips finally became flush with one another.

Levi panted harshly through his nose as he nipped his way along the column of Eren's throat to his collarbone and across to the other side as the Omega's head fell back. He grunted and his hips jerked in response to the bite of nails in his back, muscles twitching and flexing, rippling beneath Eren's touch and he shuddered. His breath hitched as he shifted back as much as possible and adjusted the grip of his hands on the Omega, one groping roughly at his thigh, while the other palmed one plump cheek of his ass, hitching him further up against the wall before he was moving. He rolled his hips forward in powerful rocking thrusts, growling and moaning lowly, murmuring nonsense and praise while he slid in and out of the tight slick heat.

"Fuck yes," Eren hissed, looking down between them to watch Levi pound into him. It felt like his body was on fire and every place that Levi touched him tingled with pleasure. He rolled his hips in time with Levi's thrusts, making slapping sounds ring through the room as the Alpha rocked into him.

For a brief moment, Levi pulled Eren away from the wall, then slammed the Omega back into it, driving his cock even deeper and hitting Eren's prostate. "Oh God... Right there," Eren cried, holding on for dear life as Levi shifted so that he would continue hitting that spot.

The Alpha slid his hands up behind Eren's back, gripping at his shoulders as he crushed him back against the wall, hips pistoning hard and as fast as he was able, grunting and breathing heavily as his bit at Eren's skin enough to sting, but not enough to break the flesh. There was barely any space between them, Eren's cock caught between the press of their bellies, weeping and slicked with precum and sweat as the muscles of Levi's abdomen rubbed against it with every intent thrust of his hips, driving his own cock into the Omega and assaulting his prostate with brutal accuracy.

"Eren... Eren... Fuck... Feel so right," he breathed hoarsely, movements desperate, passion filled and possessive, "Mine... Mine... Omega... All mine..." He could feel the pressure building at the base of his cock where his knot was swelling and he shuddered, hips stuttering a moment before he managed to find his intense rhythm once again, slamming up into Eren, bruising his own knuckles against the wall as he held Eren's shoulders tightly. He revelled in the tightening of soft thighs around his sides and the heels digging into his lower back, the stinging burn of welts left in the wake of his Omega's nails on his shoulder blades and the breathless wanton cries slipping from Eren's mouth. He'd missed him so much, missed being so close to him and silently promised to never take it for granted again.

"M-mine... You're mine too," Eren cried in response, writhing against the man as he bit into his neck. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that Levi wouldn't bond him yet, but the sharp sting of teeth excited him nonetheless. He wanted Levi to bond him and that must be what the Alpha meant when he said forever. Eren would just have to wait for Levi to be ready to take that next step. Levi had already come so far for him.

As Levi continued his brutal assault on Eren's prostate, Eren yelled in warning, "Levi... I'm gonna..." He wasn't able to finish his sentence as he came, shooting white between their bellies as his ass clamped down hard on Levi's cock. As the Omega orgasmed, he leaned forward to bite Levi hard on his scent gland, although not hard enough to break the skin. It would be a deep black bruise, Eren's temporary claim of the Alpha born on pure instinct.

“Ah hah! Fuck," Levi hissed, shuddering as he felt the simultaneous tight rippling sheath of Eren's body as he came and the sharp sting of teeth over his sensitive scent gland. And he abruptly slammed up into him again, knot forcing it's way passed the spasming ring of muscle harshly. He moaned, burying his face against Eren's neck, pressing open mouthed kisses to the flesh repeatedly and whispering hoarsely, "Love you, love you, love you... Eren... So much... Mean so much," as his body jerked, locked with Eren's and filling him, painting his inner walls with his cum and he held him tightly, unwilling to let him go.

Eren released Levi's flesh from his teeth and licked it soothingly then kissed the abused flesh. He nuzzled into Levi's neck as he panted, his scent filled with affection as his body calmed down. "I love you too," Eren replied, lifting his face to look into Levi's eyes as he was filled with the Alpha's seed. His face was flushed and his eyes were glassy and he asked, "Is this for forever?"

Levi's face was as flushed as Eren's, lips wet and reddened from kissing, his eyes were half lidded and widely dilated, but honest and unafraid as he met the Omega's. "If you want it to be sweetness," he said, voice still husky, strained and breathless and he swallowed hard, tenderly smoothing his hands down to the small of Eren's back and massaging lightly there. "I want it to be. I missed you so bad sweetness. I can't let you go again. You break me."

"Then don't," Eren said, wrapping his arms around Levi's neck to hug the Alpha, "Never let me go again... If you get scared, I'll help you... I won't let you break... We won't end up like your parents... I won't let it happen." He nuzzled the Alpha aggressively, but their scents were already so mingled, there was no way to mark him further. "Let this be forever. I want you for forever."

Levi licked his lips and nodded, returning the nuzzling in kind, rubbing back against Eren before he pressed kisses along the Omega's chest around where the key pendant rested against the sweat damp skin. "I gave you the key sweetness. I'm already yours and I want you forever too. Not casual, not temporary and someday not unbonded," he replied between kisses, making his way to Eren's lips from his chest, looking at him with adoration and determination in the murky mercury of his eyes, trying to convey how heavy the words were for him.

Eren lit up like the sun at Levi's words, smile wide and bright as he nodded his head. He kissed Levi, pouring all of his emotions into the kiss, but it still didn't feel like it was enough to convey what he felt. "I got you," he said when he broke the kiss, "And you got me."

Eren slipped down the wall a little with a squeak, jostling the knot deep within him. "I can't feel my body... Can we lay down?" Eren asked, wincing as he started to become more uncomfortable in the held up position.

Levi hummed his agreement into the kiss. He adjusted his grip and pulled the Omega away from the wall and chuckled softly. "'Course we can lay down princess," he murmured, hugging Eren against him and turning to cross the room on numb legs to sit back onto the bed, maneuvering a bit to sprawl out beneath Eren, still tied with the Omega.

He stroked his fingers through Eren's hair and down his back, tracing lazy abstract patterns along the soft skin, purring contentedly, elated and sated for the moment. He breathed deeply and closed his eyes, just basking in the comfortable warmth and feeling of Eren against him.

"Kay," Eren said sleepily, relaxing against his Alpha as he listened to Levi's heart beat. He fell asleep, quickly in Levi's embrace, not sure if he'd ever felt so fulfilled after sex.

Levi kissed the top of Eren's head and whispered against the soft strands, "Sweet dreams princess, I love you," before he settled his arms around Eren and just breathed in the scent of the two of them, feeling more at peace than he had in a long long while.

When his knot went down, he slipped out of the warmth of the Omega's body with a shiver and shifted the sleeping brunette to a more comfortable position on the bed, curling around him and settling into sleep himself.


	27. Interior Decorating

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> ***IMPORTANT**
> 
> Okay guys, so, we have bad news. This is the last update for now for this fic and likely our others as teapotscandal is currently very ill. The fics will be ongoing and eventually finished, but until she is well, updates will be delayed. We appreciate all the love and support and we hope you will be patient in waiting for new chapters until we are able to work on them.
> 
> Thank you!

 

It was the early hours of the morning when Levi woke again feeling light and warm. He laid on his side and watched Eren sleep as the lukewarm light of dawn cast shaded grey shadows over his skin. Eren was laying on his stomach, head resting on the pillows and facing the Alpha, lips parted slightly to draw in and exhale the softest breaths. Levi ghosted his fingers along the smooth golden expanse of the Omega's back, tracing the random beauty marks that dotted the skin. The sheets were pooled low, draped over their lower halves and obscuring their nakedness from view, but even so, Levi couldn't find reason to be disappointed. Eren belonged to him and he to the Omega. And he was as beautiful and vibrant as the day Levi had first met him and it was worth the struggle with his own doubt and fear. If he could wake up to this for the rest of his life, he would die a happy man. That was a truth he couldn’t deny.

Eren was in a state between awake and asleep as fingers ghosted along his back, pulling him into the light. “Mmm,” he hummed, eyes fluttering open to look at his Alpha blearily. “You better not be a dream or else I'm gonna be angry,” he mumbled, his voice still thick with sleep as his muscles tensed in a small stretch.

Levi lowered his lashes and shifted closer to Eren, dipping his head to press open mouthed kisses to the Omega's shoulder, his hand trailing down his spine to massage at the little divots above his sheet-covered backside. "I'm real sweetness... Not a dream," he murmured between kisses, nosing along the back of Eren's neck, nipping over his nape lightly, "You always think I'm a dream when I'm right here princess, I'm starting to get jealous of dream me."

"You should be," Eren said with a sigh, arching his back under Levi's ministrations, "My dream Levi has gotten laid _so much_ these last couple weeks... I've had some of the best dream sex of my life... I even woke up slicked once."

Twisting his back, he rolled off of his stomach, giving Levi a sleepy smile and showing off the plethora of marks that littered his neck and chest. His tan skin was marred with bruises and teeth marks, a sure sign that their coupling last night had not been a dream at all.

Levi's hand slid from Eren's back to his side and down to rest on his hip, thumbing over the sharp protrusion of bone there unconsciously and his nose brushed along the Omega's jaw as he leaned back to meet the sleepy morning eyes that were darker than usual, like evergreens and beautiful. His gaze traveled along the softness of a slightly flushed cheek and along a smooth jaw to Eren's bruised throat; those were his, from his lips and teeth, proof, along with the necklace that proclaimed his feelings for the other male, of his claim on the willing Omega and a reminder of his promise. He swallowed and ran his tongue across his teeth. Looking over the multitude of marks made him want to stain Eren with more. He wanted to leave a map across Eren's body, everything that belonged to him. He could imagine them on his hips, his thighs, all across the back of him too. He had to look away and take a deep breath to calm down enough to speak again.

"Just the once? Then he's not as good as me, I have nothing to worry about," he said, vaguely realizing that the time he'd brought Eren home from the bar and tucked him in might be the time Eren was recalling. The Omega had thought he was a dream then too and Levi remembered the events of that night with vivid clarity. He'd never said anything about what had happened between them that night to anyone. He was sure Krista had had some idea, but he'd never affirmed her suspicions and because Eren had never brought it up, Levi had never told him the full extent of what he'd done when he was drunk.

“That is true," Eren said, reaching up to run his fingers through Levi's undercut, "My imagination could never live up to the real thing." Eren looked over Levi's chest where he had marked the man up himself and trailed his hand over a particularly nasty bruise on his scent gland. His brows furrowed as he touched the mark lightly, "I'm sorry... Did I hurt you?”

Levi's breath hitched and he shuddered violently when soft fingertips traced his scent gland, the ache from the dark bruise was just as potent a turn on as looking at the marks he'd left on the Omega, knowing that he had marks to match. The Omega wanted him as much as he wanted Eren. "No... Doesn't hurt," he murmured huskily, voice deeper and silkier than it had been as the touch, sight, and sound of Eren made his cock stir. He swallowed an excess of saliva and tilted his head, baring his throat submissively to Eren without too much thought, dark, dilated mercury burning with want as he watched the Omega from beneath the sooty veil of thick lashes, "Do it again."

Eren's eyes widened as heat ignited throughout his body before he tackled Levi into the mattress. The sight of his Alpha baring his throat to him drove him wild as his mouth immediately latched onto Levi's neck while he straddled the Alpha.

Eren bit down hard, almost hard enough to break the skin, but not quite, as he sucked another mark into the man beneath him. Levi's scent gland reacted, the slick oil of Levi's scent coating Eren's mouth and making his tongue tingle and head swim. Eren let go of the skin to lap up the scent and he whined at the taste, fully awake and fully aroused.

"Hah!" Levi jerked, arching a little, eyes rolling back and closing as hands instinctively sought out and gripped Eren's hips as he straddled the Alpha and delivered another rough and stinging bite that sent shock waves of arousal through him, his instincts flooding his system with bliss at the implications such a motion from his chosen Omega had. His hips rolled up against the press of Eren's backside, his already stiff and aching cock insistently pressing between smooth and quickly slickening cheeks.

"Fuck, Eren," he breathed harshly, shuddering as Eren's tongue lapped over the fresh bite, devouring the accumulating oils there greedily. And he could smell the slick and the arousal, so thick, he could taste it, sweet on his palate like Eren's skin.

“You taste good,” Eren whispered into Levi's ear, rocking his slick hole over the head of Levi's blunt cock. “You know… I'd look good with your teeth in my neck… Too bad you don't wanna bond me just yet,” Eren said, sitting back and looking at Levi with an almost predatory smirk, “Wouldn't I look pretty with your bond on my skin?” He deliberately tilted his head, baring his own neck completely for the Alpha as he continued to tease Levi's erection with the slick oozing from his entrance.

"You will... Soon sweetness, I promise... I don't- hah-ah, intend to make you wait long... 'M working on it," the Alpha panted, shifting his hips restlessly beneath the teasing press of Eren's. He slid his hands around to grope at the Omega's ass roughly, kneading the plushness firmly as he craned his neck a bit to lap and bite at Eren's neck and shoulder. "Want you so bad Omega... So bad. I can't," he murmured, hardly able to voice his desires coherently, dizzy and drunk off the scents of them both mingling strongly and the words that burned with reckless promise for the future that was not so far away anymore. He rocked up against Eren desperately, rumbling encouragement as the head of his cock just barely breached the slick tightness.

He slid one hand up Eren's spine, between his shoulder blades, caressing along his nape until he fisted his fingers in the soft strands of his Omega's hair and roughly used the grip to maneuver Eren's head so that he could bite harshly over his scent gland, eagerly sucking and coating his mouth with the coconut vanilla sweetness of the oils that steadily poured from the gland in response to the stimulation.

"Levi," Eren cried, as his Alpha's teeth bruised his neck anew, "Hah... Fuck..." He abruptly sat down on Levi's cock, sucking in all of the length as he ground his hips against Levi's. "Mm... You're so big... Fill me up," Eren panted, before he lifted his hips up and slammed back down again making himself cry out in pleasure.

Levi moaned lowly against Eren's skin, tugging at the Omega's hair unconsciously as waves of pleasure rolled through him with sizzling intensity. God, it felt so good to be connected with Eren, to be completely surrounded by his Omega. He grunted and rolled his hips up rhythmically to meet Eren's downward thrusts and nibbled a heated path along the underside of his jaw to take his mouth. "Slow sweetness, wanna last for you," he murmured breathlessly against Eren's mouth, fingers tightening their hold on his hip and ass as the fingers of his other hand spasmed in the Omega's hair.

"If you... Keep pulling... Hah... I'm not gonna last," Eren said back against Levi's mouth. He listened though and slowed the pace of his hips, inching his way on and off Levi's cock as he captured Levi's lips. He licked his way into Levi's mouth, exploring his Alpha's tongue with his own as he clenched his muscles to really clamp down on Levi's cock with every thrust. Every movement made fire race through the Omega's body, screaming out for his Alpha.

Levi hissed his breath through his nose, a husky moan muffled and swallowed by his Omega's mouth as Eren sucked on his tongue. He untangled his fingers from the soft hair reluctantly and dropped his hand back down to Eren's hip, opposite his other, gripping and kneading the flesh and helping to guide the languid motions. He rolled his own up into the clamping channel, shuddering and tensing, muscles straining to keep the pace slow as their sweat mingled and the definition between their scents became near non existent. "So good Omega... Mmn, love you... Fit so perfect... So-hah perfect," he breathed, breaking away to catch his breath a moment before he was kissing Eren again, unable to get enough, wanting, **needing** to be as connected as possible with the Omega. The base of his cock flared slightly, swelling at a torturous pace and sending bolts of pleasure through him each time his growing knot caught against the slick ring of muscle where his cock disappeared inside the other male.

His stomach tensed and relaxed with the motions of his hips, fighting to keep them slow and smooth, but deep and powerful, angling them to brush against the sweet spot inside Eren, shuddering at the feel of the Omega's weeping erection caught between them.

Eren broke the kiss to moan, "No... Don't stop," grabbing the man's hand to thread back in his hair and make the Alpha pull his head back harshly. "Ah... Feels good," Eren whined, feeling his Alpha's knot start to inflate. He started slamming down on Levi's cock harder, his thighs aching from exertion as he gripped his own neglected cock and pumped it. "Knot me Levi! N-Need to... Ah!... Hah... Feel you... Fill me up... I love you," he cried out, his fingers digging into Levi's shoulder.

Levi grunted, unable to keep pace when Eren began to beg and writhe intensely on top of him and he suddenly flipped him over onto his back, pinning him under his body, one hand yanking his hair so that his throat was on display and he buried his face there, setting his teeth and tongue against the already marked flesh as he began to slam in and out of Eren almost frantically, fast and hard and desperate, panting harshly as guttural growls and whines escaped from his lips to stain Eren's skin. He abruptly shoved his hips flush with the Omega's, forcing his knot inside him as squelching sounds rose lewdly between them and he murmured incoherent praise as he began to pump Eren full of cum, shuddering violently as his hips jerked in little uncontrollable motions while his knot flared further and locked them together and Levi couldn't even think passed how completely right it was.

When Levi forced his knot into him, locking them together, Eren cried out in ecstasy as he came hard and spots danced across his vision. Eren was a mess under the Alpha, panting hard as drool leaked out of his open mouth with his eyes bright and glassy. "I love you," he whispered, shuddering as he felt every spray of Levi's cum on the inside, "I love you so much... Feels so good..."

Levi held the Omega tightly as if he might slip through his fingers or something if he didn't and he breathed against him, shaking and riding tremors of aftershocks as Eren's body milked his cock eagerly. "Love you too, mmn, so right to have you," he whispered harshly, face still pressed against the crook of Eren's neck and shoulder, their hearts clambering and synchronizing heady rhythms against one another in their chests as they came down from the high of their lovemaking slowly, reluctant to accept the end of it.

Eren wrapped his arms around Levi's back and his legs around Levi's waist, holding on just as tightly as the man held onto him. "I wanna be bonded... Be your Omega forever... I wanna have babies with you... Even though I can't have them myself... I want us to live together... Wake up every day together... I want another dog or two so Nix will have a buddy... I wanna be with you and love you and make love to you... I want everything and I want it with you," Eren rambled, whispering his dreams to Levi in his blissful haze, unafraid of wanting these things anymore.

Levi hummed softly, refusing to acknowledge the threads of apprehension that rose in response to the whispered words against his skin, squeezing Eren instead. He wasn't going to let his fear get the best of him anymore. He'd decided he would give Eren everything and deep down he'd known that meant a family as well. It didn't have to be right now or even right after they finally bonded, but he knew he couldn't deny Eren any more. The Omega would have his dreams. Eren was voicing them because he wanted these things desperately in their future, wanted that future with Levi and it warmed him from inside outwards in thick aching waves. He wasn't trying to pressure him now, but outlining a life they'd share together and the Alpha could not refuse him nor could he deny that the future Eren painted for him, the dreamy happiness that underlaid the words was not disagreeable. If it would make Eren happy, he would face his fears and do his best to make those dreams a reality. He just needed time...

"I'll give you everything sweetness. You deserve it all," there was no rush, but there was a someday and it would come. For once, he was going to put his faith in the unknown and he wasn't going to turn away from the risk. Eren was worth it; their future was worth it. He was going to trust Eren with something he'd never entrusted to anyone else; his heart. He would be vulnerable, but he would have faith that Eren would not hurt him and that he could trust himself.

Eren met Levi's eyes and asked in a serious tone, "Do you promise? Promise that together we will make all my dreams come true?" He lifted his hand from Levi's back, holding out his pinkie finger. "Do you pinkie promise?" he asked, eyes wide open and seeking an answer, "Don't pinkie promise if you don't mean it. Pinkie promises are serious."

Levi met the gaze unwaveringly, determination overlaying the vague fear in the depths of his eyes and he nodded, snaking his own hand up between the press of their bodies to curl his pinkie with Eren's. "I promise as long as you promise to be patient with me. You give me the time I need and I promise, I'll give you my everything," he affirmed, shifting to press his mouth to Eren's not quite chastely, but meaningfully, "I'll do anything for you, just... Don't ruin me," he whispered against Eren's mouth, trying to impress upon the Omega just how weak he was for him, how fragile and breakable Eren made him. Eren could devastate him and in the future, it would be only become stronger.

Eren kissed Levi back and thought about the adoption. He figured it would be awhile before he was matched with a child because these things took time. Eren was sure by the time he was offered a child, Levi would be ready. Well at least he hoped, he would be. No reason to tell Levi about it now and freak him out. Eren would tell him when the Alpha was ready.

"I promise," Eren said, kissing the man, "I'll be patient... I've waited this long already and went through hell and back... No reason I can't wait a little bit longer." Eren smiled against Levi's lips and kissed him again. "You've made me so happy Alpha. I love you so much. I know I keep saying it over and over again, but I can't help it... You mean everything to me... So I won't ruin you if you won't ruin me..."

Levi hummed and smiled in response to Eren's words. "I know... I love you too. I'm happy you are happy sweetness. I'll do everything I can to keep you that way," he said quietly, eyes dancing with warmth and love as he looked at Eren, resting his forehead against the Omega's. "Mm, I want to stay in bed all day like this," he said after a moment, breathing in their mingled scent deeply and squeezing Eren affectionately.

"Mm," Eren hummed nuzzling his face affectionately into Levi's, "I could be persuaded to stay with you, Alpha." He sighed as he relaxed fully into the mattress underneath Levi, unwinding his legs from the Alpha's waist so that he wasn't clinging quite so tightly. "It's still kind of amazing that you knot me every single time," Eren observed aloud. "I've never heard of something like this before. Should we like... Go see a doctor?" he wondered then suddenly giggled, "It's a little funny though... You're trying so hard to impregnate me, but it'll never happen. Your poor Alpha, wasting all this good seed in me."

Levi chuckled, shifting so that he could maneuver Eren more comfortably on top of him while they waited out his knot, not wanting to crush him any longer under his weight. He pet his hair and back idly as he laid under the Omega and a smile curled in the corner of his mouth. "Who knows sweetness. It's inconvenient for quickies, but I don't think it's anything to really be concerned over. And I wouldn't call it a waste. You have no idea how satisfying it is just knowing I've put it there," he purred roughly in response, rubbing his hands up and down Eren's sides and watching him from beneath hooded lashes.

Eren wiggled his hips, making them both shudder as he moved the knot within himself. "You don't know how satisfying it is to be knotted as an Omega... Huge turn on to be full like this... Especially full of your cum," Eren said, giggling as he reached down to rub his belly. In the back of his mind, he wished that Levi could impregnate him. That'd be pretty hot too.

Levi's smile spread the rest of the way over his lips and he purred contentedly, intensely pleased that the Omega was as satisfied by being filled and knotted as he was doing it. Alpha pride and possessiveness simmered in his chest with a pleasant burn at the knowledge. "S'good, I like having you full of me," he mumbled gravelly in his throat as his thumbs rubbed along the soft sides of Eren's firm belly. He vaguely wondered what Eren would look like pregnant. Levi had a feeling he would be completely irresistible, especially knowing the swell would have been something he put there, proof of their bond in the form of life... Wasn't that something else... He hummed at his own musings, but didn't scrutinize or analyze them too far. Even if it was a rather satisfying consideration, it wasn't possible even if he was ready for children (which he wasn't) so there was no point in fantasizing about it.

Eren shifted his hips again, sending a wave of pleasure through his body and making him shudder. He looked down as his cock twitched, beginning to get hard again as Levi’s knot pressed on his prostate. Eren bit his lip as he blushed down at Levi. "Would it be weird if I was hard again?" he asked shyly, sitting up to grab the shaft of his dick, giving it a slow pump up and down.

Levi groaned, arching a little under Eren and watching him heatedly. He palmed at the Omega’s hips, licking his lips and swallowing hard as his eyes followed the movement of Eren's hand over his dick. Levi desperately wanted to move again, hips twitching restlessly under the other male, unable to thrust while tied as they were and it was **torture**. Levi could feel Eren's body rippling and tensing around his trapped cock with every motion the Omega made. Pure fucking torture...

"Fuck, it's not weird at all sweetness... It's sadistic as hell and twice as hot... But not weird... You're killing me," he answered in a strained and guttural near growl. He rocked his hips in little rolling thrusts, unable to do more, lashes fluttering as the movement only served to tease him further.

Eren ground his hips down in a circular motion, making Levi's knot rotate inside of him. "Ah," Eren whined as he stroked himself slowly up and down, flicking his wrist when he got to his head. "This feels... Kinda weird... Masturbating while I'm tied to you," Eren panted, still pleasuring himself above Levi.

The Alpha's breath hitched and a soft whine escaped him as he watched the erotic display Eren was putting on. He began to pant, shaking with the effort it took to remain still when all he wanted to do was move in the rippling, slick heat engulfing him and he fucking couldn't without hurting the both of them.

"It is a little kinky, but you look so good sweetness, god... Want you so bad," he replied hoarsely, sliding his hands up Eren's sides to his chest, thumbing over and teasing the Omega's nipples because he could at least touch him while he willed his knot to deflate faster.

Eren arched his back as Levi played with his nipples. "C'mere," Eren growled, reaching his hand under Levi's neck to pull the Alpha up and devour his mouth. As his lips moved furiously against Levi's, he grabbed the Alpha's hand off of his hip and directed it to his weeping cock, silently commanding Levi to jack him off.

Levi didn't hesitate to replace the Omega's hand with his own, fisting his straining shaft and stroking it with firm smooth strokes, moaning appreciatively into the kiss, parting his lips so that he could tangle his tongue with Eren's. He felt a shudder roll down his spine and there was a distinct release of pressure when his knot suddenly started to deflate and it was enough for him to move. He planted his feet on the mattress and bucked up into Eren intently, using his unoccupied hand to guide Eren into his thrusts as he synced the motion of his stroking hand with the rutting of his hips.

"Fu-hah-ck... Eren," he breathed harshly, his cock still hard even as the knot deflated, though not entirely as if in preparation to flare back up again and he shivered violently at how sensitive it was, every ripple and squeeze of Eren's body sending bolts of electric ecstasy through his nerves.

"Ah! Ah! Hah... Levi," Eren cried as Levi started to fuck up into him. "Feels... So fucking... Good... Harder!" His legs were shaking underneath him as he rode Levi and the Alpha pumped his cock. He was so sensitive, and Levi was making him feel so good; it wasn't long before he was coming again with a shout, shooting onto Levi's chest as his hole clamped down on the Alpha's cock.

Levi's face was flushed, eyes widely dilated and he panted harshly between guttural groans and breathy whines as he thrust up into the clenching confines of Eren's body faster and harder. He bucked and ground upwards repeatedly as his hands groped at the Omega, one bruising his hip while the other clamped down over the nape of his neck with warm and gentle firmness, drawing Eren's panting mouth to his own so he could kiss him with furious passion, murmuring praise as the Omega came.

He arched suddenly, a hitched half moan, half growl sounding as his knot swelled again. His muscles went taut and he released a low whine into Eren's mouth as his second orgasm quaked through him, white spots dancing behind his lashes as he refilled Eren with fresh cum. It was all so intense like this. How could those words that had once barred them from one another now bring them closer than they'd ever been? It was euphoric, dizzying and unlike anything else he'd experienced. And somehow he was a little scared to know how it might be with the added element of his Omega's heat in the future. Surely it was going to be near debilitating...

He held the Omega close as he caught his breath, nuzzling against him, pure adoration and devotion in his scent. "It's never enough... You're beautiful Eren... So beautiful," he murmured, not even aware of his own breathy words as he shivered and assisted the Omega in maneuvering his cramped legs into a more comfortable position while they waited once again, though Levi doubted his knot would last as long the second time around.

Eren panted heavily, chest rising and falling, not even aware when Levi moved him into a more comfortable position. Finally, he opened his green gaze to look into Levi's mercury. "We should... We should make porn... I bet we'd make a shit ton of money," Eren said, only half joking. Their sex was hot as fuck. He was pretty sure they _could_ make money off it.

"Nn, not gonna happen sweetness unless it's for our own personal collection. I'm not sharing you with anyone," Levi rumbled in a deep husky tone, still breathless and rough from sex. He began to massage at the warm and slightly damp flesh of the Omega's shoulders and back, drawing nonsense over the skin with his fingertips, random patterns and words, sloppy hearts and sappy sentiments as he lowered his lashes, watching Eren through them warmly.

"Mm maybe just for me then," Eren said, nuzzling into his Alpha with pure adoration, his scent strong with happiness. He looked at Levi cheekily and said, "I'll need something to keep me warm if you run off again," then stuck out his tongue playfully.

Levi growled at the cheeky remark and gave a tug to a lock of the Omega's hair in retaliation, "I'm not going anywhere princess. You're stuck with me now. I don't buy jewelry and wax poetic to just any Omega, might as well have bought you a ring," he murmured huskily, craning his neck a bit to nip at Eren's nose playfully, "But I might be persuaded to play along for home movies if you ask nicely."

"Of course. You're **mine** ," Eren said, looking at Levi with blazing fierceness. "And since you're my Alpha for good... I've accepted that you may get scared and run off. I'll just wait for you to come back. And you _will_ come back to me. I've claimed you even if we aren't bonded yet," Eren said simply with a shrug. He reached down to grasp the key that laid against his chest, warm from the metal soaking in his heat. "This is way more important than any ring, Levi," he said seriously, "It's the key to your heart and I'm never ever giving it back."

The Alpha's smile turned soft and he nodded, "I'll never ask for it back, just take good care of it for me. If I run, I will definitely come back, that's a promise," he hummed, watching Eren hold the pendant he'd given him, chest feeling heavy and too small again, but it wasn't unpleasant. He gave him a little squeeze and shuddered when his knot suddenly loosened, deflating swiftly and he let out a heavy breath. "We're going to be so sore after this vacation," he observed though he didn't sound like he minded the prospect one bit.

"It's a good sore," Eren replied, clamping his legs together to try and keep the slick and cum inside. "I should probably go wash off... I've been double stuffed with your juice," Eren said with a grimace, "I don't wanna get it all over the bed sheets. But I also can't feel my legs again..."

Levi wrinkled his nose, "Don't say it like that," he said with a funny little grin on his mouth. "Mm, we're gonna have to wash the bed sheets anyways and there are spares," he continued after a moment, helping Eren to shift off of him so he could sit up, eyeing Eren, committing the sight of him to memory. "You wanna have a bath? I'll carry you," he offered, already moving to get off the bed. They could change the bedding after and he could make them something to eat. He really had no plans to leave the bed for the next several hours at the least except to feed his Omega.

"What? Double stuffed or juice? 'Cause you definitely did double stuff me and all your jizz is gonna ooze out," Eren said, pointing to between his legs where stuff was already running down his thighs. "Yes, I wanna bath. Is it big enough for two? I wanna cuddle too," the Omega said, reaching for his Alpha to be picked up.

“Juice," the Alpha replied, nose still wrinkled and he chuckled, looking unabashedly when Eren gestured between his thighs where sluggish rivulets of cum and slick were wetting them, humming his approval of the sight unconsciously. He bent slightly and reached to pick the Omega up, nuzzling him affectionately as he cradled him against his chest, "Mm, we'll both fit. It's a big clawed thing like yours at home," he said after another second as he carried Eren the short distance to the attached bathroom and set him down in the tub, turning on the taps and adding some of the soothing salts and oils his mother kept stocked before he climbed in behind him, situating his legs to either side of him and pulling Eren back against his chest as the deep tub filled with water.

"Mmn, I could definitely get used to this," he hummed as he closed his eyes and slouched back against the porcelain at his back, "I love being with you..."

"You shoulda figured it out sooner... Think of all the sex we missed out on," Eren said teasingly, snuggling back into his Alpha as he lifted his toes to put under the running water. He sighed happily, content at being surrounded by warm water and the arms of his Alpha. "I love baths... But baths with you are even better," Eren said, turning his head to nose into Levi's neck, nuzzling the mark he had left earlier.

"Mm, it's not the sex I missed most, it was you sweetness. You're something special," Levi purred, tilting his head to allow Eren better access to the marked column of his throat as he idly poured water over Eren's chest and shoulders with his hands, eyes cracking a fraction to watch Eren out of the corners, "Can I... I want to call you my mate... I know we're not bonded yet, but I keep thinking of you that way and it's right... Would that be alright?"

Eren stilled at Levi's words, frozen by what Levi had asked. Then in a blur of movement and a lot of water splashed out of the tub onto the tile, Eren flipped around in Levi's grasp to kneel and stare intently into the Alpha’s gaze. "You mean it? You want to call me your mate?" Eren asked, his face bright red and his whole body vibrating with happiness.

The Alpha blinked at the unexpectedly intense reaction before a breathy chuckle escaped his mouth and a soft smile tugged at his lips. "Yeah, I mean it sweetness. You're the only one for me. I know it now, might as well make it known to everyone else too. We're unbonded right now, but we won't be forever," he replied, using a foot to shut off the running water as he pulled Eren back against him.

He continued to talk after a second, voice quiet in between them, "You know, I'm not afraid of bonding because I'm afraid of pain myself. I don't ever want to hurt you like that... I'm afraid that no matter what I do, I'll become like my father… And you’ll go away and be hurt like she was. He wasn't always terrible to my mother. She fell in love with him once, but after they bonded, he became someone else. I don’t ever wanna be someone else with you."


	28. Reinforcing Supports

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello lovelies! Yes! It's finally here, the beginning of the second arc of "Renovate My Heart"! It's Xander's birthday Tuesday and we could have waited til then to post, but who wants to wait any longer, lol. Big shout out to everyone who's commented and supported us and been so patient in waiting for this! There will be more to come in the coming weeks as well as updates for other fics as we get on them. In the mean time, do enjoy this fluff-fest and prepare yourselves for the rollercoaster to come! Thanks again!

The pair spent the rest of the day in bed, cuddling, talking, eating and making love whenever it suited them. They spent all their time in the following days constantly in each other’s company, comfortable and content, relearning about one another and bonding further. Levi praised his Omega and lavished him in affection, reminded him over and over again that Eren belonged to him and he to the Omega. He’d never felt so at peace as he did by the end of their weekend away.

They were both reluctant to return home, but they couldn’t exactly stay away forever. They were in almost constant contact with each other, subtle touches, caresses, stolen kisses whenever the mood struck. True to his word, Levi brought Eren for family dinner again the week of their return, spent another evening in the warm company of the Alpha’s childhood home. There was much teasing about the multitude of marks the both of them sported, but it was all good natured and though there was much grumbling and embarrassed flushing on the Alpha’s part, Levi didn’t deny any of the implications and innuendos from his family. He’d just be lying anyway. Eren was smiling and Levi had never been so happy. He’d made the right choice. 

It was Friday of the following week and Levi was at his home, preparing lasagne and garlic bread for dinner that evening. He was a little nervous again because Eren would not be alone when he arrived. Eren had been on the phone with Carla earlier in the week and had overheard Levi at Eren’s place. After what had happened with Reiner, she was eager to visit and check on her baby boy, not to mention, she was more than eager to see how things were going between him and Levi. Levi had suggested she and Grisha come for dinner at his place that weekend and thus he spent all of Friday tidying his house and yard and making dinner and apple caramel cheesecake for dessert. Maybe he wanted to impress Eren’s parents just a bit, even though he knew he’d always had Carla’s support. This was different.

A loud chorus of knocking came at the front door as two figures spoke with exuberance while the third hung a few steps back. It was Eren and his parents, Carla gushing about Levi's house as Eren listened, smiling and smug with pride over Levi's accomplishments. He had been so surprised that Levi had wanted to host his family for dinner, but the Omega wasn't complaining; Levi was obviously working hard to prove his commitment. It almost made him want to cry with happiness, being invited into Levi's family with open arms and Levi now trying to be a part of his.

"Maybe you'll end up moving here," Carla finished, her eyes still combing over the landscaping and the house’s outdoor finish. 

"Mommmmm staaahhpp," Eren said, trying to hide his giant grin and flushed face behind his hands hoping that his parents wouldn't embarrass him or chase Levi away _again_.

Phoenix barked and circled at the front door even before the knocking came and Levi nearly tripped over him, cursing and shooing him away only to be whapped repeatedly by an over exuberant tail. “‘Nix Manners,” he ordered, pointing at the dog sternly. The malamute sat back on his haunches and watched Levi with cocked head and tongue lolling out the side of his mouth drolly as if he hadn’t just about knocked his master over. 

The Alpha sighed and shook his head, running his hands through his hair and over his casual ensemble (black jeans and forest green and white baseball style shirt), before he pulled the door open. His nerves were soothed and he smiled as soon as he set his gaze on his mate. His eyes shifted from Eren to his parents respectively and he stepped back to admit them inside as he greeted them, “Welcome back sweetness. It’s good to see you Carla, Grisha. Come on in.”

Carla flounced her way through the doorway, cutting off her son to give Levi a big hug and a smooch on the forehead. "Levi, you're house is stunning," she said, standing back to squeeze his shoulders before she toed off her shoes and continued to explore, squealing girlishly when she was met with the sight of Levi’s dog. Eren had of course told her about the fluffball, but this was the first time she was actually meeting the malamute herself. 

"Levi," Grisha said, holding out his hand to give Levi a firm handshake and a nod. He usually let his mate do all the talking which had always worked for them. The problem was trying to rein her in when she got excited; taking off his shoes to follow and make sure Carla didn't snoop too much. 

Eren glared after his parents before he turned back to Levi with a shy smile, stepping into Levi's house wearing high waisted jean shorts with a white tank top, and a flowered kimono cover up. He immediately dove into Levi's arms to nose into Levi's scent gland. A warm shudder of arousal hit Eren like it always did when he smelled Levi's scent and he whispered into Levi's ear, "Do you think they'd notice if we had a quickie in the bathroom? You smell very fuckable right now."

The Alpha hummed and groped Eren’s sides appreciatively, his scent reflecting how agreeable he was to the suggestion from his Omega despite his response, “Mm, your mom will definitely notice and I have a feeling the lock would not keep her from barging in.” His brow furrowed as he heard the dull sound of steps in the loft and the gentle clicking of Nix’s claws as he no doubt followed Eren’s mother as she made herself right at home. “Christ, if she’s in my underwear drawer… You’re patting her down before she leaves,” he finished with a crooked grin and gave Eren an affectionate squeeze around the middle.

"Wouldn't want her to steal your porn or anything," Eren replied with a half smile, teasing Levi even though he actually knew his mom wasn't above looking for it. Carla was fascinated by Alpha sexuality, boasting that she could infer a lot by just seeing what gets them going. 

Leaning forward, he kissed Levi with an open mouth, sliding his tongue lightly over the Alpha's, before his hand slid down to firmly grab Levi's crotch. Eren stepped back with an evil smile, trying to look innocent then walked towards the kitchen where his dad was waiting awkwardly for everyone to join him. 

Levi exhaled a heavy breath from between his teeth, adjusted his eagerly stiffening manhood so it wouldn’t be noticeable and ran a hand through his hair before he followed after the younger male. How was he supposed to make small talk with Grisha when he was having a hard time remembering why it would be rude to bend his son over in the bathroom while he and Carla were visiting. Eren was certainly going to pay for his mischief later. 

He ignored the heat pulsing at the back of his neck and in between his thighs and checked on the food before going to his refrigerator. He looked over his shoulder at Grisha and Eren, “Can I get you something to drink? Dinner won’t be too long.”

"Mm, thank you but I'll have to pass," Grisha said quietly, nervously looking towards the stairs where his mate had disappeared to. He was contemplating having to go retrieve Carla before he smiled with relief, watching her come down the steps with Nix in tow. 

"I'll have a glass of red if you have it! Tonight feels like a celebration night," Carla said, almost vibrating with excitement. "Eren and I will enjoy the alcohol without you Grisha." 

"Actually Mom," Eren said, smiling sheepishly, "I think I'll have to pass as well. Some of Levi's iced tea would be lovely though," Eren finished, stepping closer to Levi. 

Carla's eyes narrowed as she watched her son in confusion. "Huh... I don't think I've ever heard you turn down a drink before sweetums... Are you feeling okay?"

"Yes, yes," Eren assured, exasperated, rolling his eyes at his overprotective parents. "I'm still having some digestive issues after all the weight loss," he said, waving his hand at the two. 

"Are you sure?" Grisha asked, switching into doctor mode as he eyed Eren up and down. "I don't mind giving you an examination in the living room. Of course I don't have a lot of my tools but I could make due..." 

Eren began to scowl. "I'm fine! Please can we drop it?" His bottom lip was starting to stick out into a round pout as he inched even closer to Levi, hoping that the Alpha’s presence would keep him from exploding in annoyance.

Levi glanced at his mate, scent flaring slightly to calm Eren’s upset as he moved to pour the requested drinks, opting to pour himself a glass of iced tea as well. He handed off Carla’s first and then retrieved his own, handing the other to Eren before he wrapped his unoccupied arm around the younger male and gave him an affectionate squeeze around the waist. 

The Alpha made eye contact with Carla for a long moment before he spoke, “Don’t worry, he’s been letting me take care of him again.” His fingers kneaded at Eren’s side contentedly and he turned his head to press a light kiss behind Eren’s ear. “Why don’t you tell them all about our trip to the ocean while I get dinner served sweetness?” he suggested in hopes of changing the subject to something that hopefully would not agitate the Omega further.

Eren smiled brightly at Levi before he turned to his parents, telling the story to them for about the hundredth time. He was bursting with life, waving his hands all over the place while he spoke and his parents nodded along. Carla sent some approving glances Levi's way as she sipped her wine and reached under the table to hold Grisha’s hand. It didn't take the food long to be dished out and for the four of them to sit down and dig in, Carla and Eren moaning in delight at how delicious the food was. Anyone could tell who Eren took after.

A fond smile curled in the corner of Levi’s mouth as he watched Eren and his mother dig into the food with much enthusiasm. Warm pride blossomed and spread in his chest, pleased to see Eren so genuinely happy and enjoying eating the food he’d made for him. He hummed his approval, scent content and pleasant as he turned his attention back to his own food. He swallowed, took a sip of his iced tea and looked at Eren’s parents, attempting smalltalk,“So how’ve you two been doing since the last time I spoke to you?” Carla was easy enough to get along with, but Levi felt about as awkward as Grisha looked as the two Alphas sat across from one another. He’d never had to try to get along with and impress an Omega’s dad before; he’d never cared enough to and he wasn’t quite sure what Grisha thought of him.

"Mmm, we've been doing well... Still missing our boy... Empty nest and all that bullshit," Carla said with a sigh. 

Grisha swallowed then cleared his throat, lifting his eyes to meet Levi's. "The hospital is doing wonderfully. Under Armin’s care, I might actually be able to retire early," he said with a calm and quiet voice. 

Carla rolled her eyes and pushed Grisha’s shoulder. "He asked us how we were, not about the damn hospital, Grisha. I don't think it's physically possible for you to retire willfully anyway so don't give Levi lip service." Eren just sighed, throwing a sideways glance at Levi as his parents bickered. 

Soon enough, all the plates were clear and Eren gave Levi a hand taking them all to rest by the sink to be washed. Carla had gone to the bathroom but then pranced back into the kitchen with Nix on her tail, following the ball she had found with rapt attention.

"Eren! Let's go play with Nixxy!" she suggested, bouncing as much as the dog circling excitedly beside her, waiting for her son to join her in the backyard.

Eren bit his lip, his desire to play written distinctly on his face. "In a bit... I gotta help Levi with the dishes..." 

Carla began to whine like a three year old before Grisha stepped in. "I'll help with the dishes, go have fun with your mom.. you know how much she's missed you." 

Eren beamed brightly, moving to kiss Levi then his father on the cheek before he dashed out the back door with his mom to play fetch. Grisha gave his son a small smile then began gathering the last of the dishes to bring to the kitchen. "What else do we need to do?" he asked, waiting on Levi's answer.

Levi looked at Eren’s father and gave him a small, vaguely nervous, but polite smile as he offered him a dishcloth, “I’ll wash, you dry.” He was quiet a moment before he reached over to turn the radio on low and then turned on the water and began washing the plates from dinner. He glanced at Grisha as he passed him a dish to dry, chewing on his inner cheek, feeling as if he should maybe apologize for what had happened with Reiner, though Grisha had not even been present, but he wasn’t sure if it was appropriate or not. Aside from that, it was probably too soon to be asking Grisha for his blessing in bonding Eren, or maybe it wasn’t… Was there some kind of procedure for this shit that he didn’t know? So he remained quiet rather than saying something that might condemn him somehow. He wasn’t sure how to communicate with Eren’s father, so out of his element and it seemed like Grisha was as much out of his depth as the raven was.

When they'd finished the dishes, Levi dried his hands and leaned back against the counter. "Nothing else until dessert," he answered, shifting his weight unconsciously against the counter ledge, raising one hand to card fingers through his hair anxiously and finally managed to work up the courage to actually speak further what was on his mind. "Uhh, I don't know exactly how this is supposed to go, but I wanted to let you know that I... Well, I don't know what Eren's told you and Carla, but I've decided I'd like to bond with him in the future if he agrees."

It took a moment for Grisha to decide what he wanted to say, folding the dish towel then leaning back on the island opposite to Levi. He fixed his glasses, green eyes piercing Levi with a calculated gaze before he finally untied his tongue to speak. "Congratulations," he said, bowing his head sincerely, "I remember when I asked Carla to bond... Well, she more of ordered me to ask her in university. She's always been this way, confident and headstrong. You can definitely tell who Eren took after." He gave Levi a nervous smile before he continued. "I'm not what you'd call a regular Alpha. You'll never have to worry about being forced to bond with a shotgun to your head..." Grisha turned to look out the window at his son laughing and playing with Carla and Phoenix, looking quite content watching the fun from afar. "I won't be giving my permission for you to bond my son only because you don't need my permission. Just... continue making him smile like this and you will always have my blessing... Which is a good thing since Carla plans on blowing a lot of money on your bonding ceremony," leaning in closer to Levi, he whispered, "I'll try to keep her from going overboard... But you can see how she is... I'm sure Eren is just as hard to say no to as Carla is for me."

Levi snorted softly, that fond smile back on his face as his warmed gaze followed Grisha's to their mates. "I'd do anything for him," he chuckled breathily as he continued, "He'd say it's his ass, but it's that smile that makes it impossible to imagine a future without him. Bonding means so much to him and if I'm honest, he's the only one I could imagine doing it with."

Grisha nodded along, lifting his hand to clap Levi on the shoulder, but staying quiet for several long minutes as they watched their mates play. 

Soon Carla and Eren walked back inside, heaving as Nix trotted behind them with the ball wedged triumphantly in his mouth. "Carla," Grisha said, "It's getting late and we have a long drive," hinting that they should probably depart. 

Carla pouted, but nodded in agreement. "I guess so... Should leave the lovebirds alone," she said, turning to give Eren a big hug, then walking towards Levi to give him one as well. "Welcome to the family," she said quietly into Levi's ear before she pulled back for Grisha to shake his hand again.

Levi returned the embrace familiarly, ears burning and pink in response to Carla’s warm words, smiling and ducking his head a bit as they broke apart. “Thank you,” he murmured quietly before shaking Grisha’s hand firmly, trading a small, warm smile with the elder Alpha. Once the grip on his hand was released, he stepped back to wrap an arm around his mate and draw Eren against his side. He gave the Omega an affectionate squeeze as they followed the other couple to the door, dessert completely forgotten after the conversation he’d had with Grisha. “We should make this a regular thing,” he suggested sincerely as they stood at the front door. Awkward as it might have started, it hadn’t turned out too bad at all and he knew how much it would mean to Eren. 

"Yes definitely," Carla said, trying to go in for another big hug before Eren stopped her and started shoving his parents out the door. 

"Bye bye! Love you lots! Safe drive! Text me later to say you’re home," Eren said so quickly, they might not have understood a single thing he said before he slammed the door shut and locked it for good measure. He waited until he heard the sound of the car doors and subsequent honk before his parents pulled out of Levi’s driveway and drove off before he relaxed. 

Sinking against the wall with a sigh, Eren dry rubbed his face. "I love my parents... but after living apart for so long, I think I've lost my tolerance for their antics." He opened his eyes to peek at Levi, itching to ask the Alpha what he’d talked about with his father while they’d been doing the dishes.

Levi laughed and reached to ruffle his mate's hair playfully. "They aren't _that_ bad sweetness. Not any worse than mine at any rate," he replied with a smile, "Mm you want to cuddle and eat dessert, since you ran them off before they could have any?"

"Mmm... I unno," Eren mumbled, leaning forward to rest his head on Levi's shoulder, rubbing his face into the warmth of Levi's body. "What were you and my dad talking about? You were standing in the window so long, it made me anxious," he asked, looking up at Levi with wide eyes.

The Alpha returned Eren’s wide-eyed look with a warm one of his own, a smile tugging at his mouth as he looped his arms loosely around Eren’s waist. “Mm you mostly. I told him I wanted to make you my bonded,” Levi replied, voice low and husky in his throat as he spoke, giving his mate another little squeeze.

Eren's face turned a bright shade of scarlet as he looked down and bit his lip so that a grin wouldn't spread. "Oh... Well... It's not like you need to ask his permission... It's more of my mom you have to convince," Eren said shyly, his hands slipping under Levi's shirt to rub up and down the smooth skin of the Alpha’s back, tracing the sinewy muscle there with his fingertips. "But I'm pretty sure she'd have a fit if we _didn't_ get bonded at this point... I don't think she understood when I told her we were taking it slow..."

Levi hummed appreciatively, muscles tensing and relaxing under Eren’s touch, his scent curling up around them pleasantly. He chuckled and wet his lips, “Yeah, your dad mentioned she was a bit excited. It’s not bad. We aren’t rushing anything, but it’s actually pretty satisfying to tell everyone you’re mine and I plan on keeping you,” he said, smiling broadly and kneading the dimples above Eren’s firm backside.

"Is it now?" the Omega said, pulling back to look at Levi, glowing in happiness. "Does the thought of keeping me make you happy Alpha?" Eren asked, tracing one finger down Levi's torso until he hooked it in one belt loop of Levi's jeans. He bit his lip again, a little wrinkle forming between his eyebrows to indicate his worry. "Y'know... There's lots of stuff for us to talk about... But it's nice to just... I don't know, relax, I guess?" he frowned lightly and shrugged a shoulder.

Levi thumbed over Eren’s hipbones in firm little circles, looking down at where Eren had a hold of his belt loop and back up at the Omega with lidded eyes and a half smile. “I dunno, I’d say I’m pretty happy sweetness. And yeah, there’s lots to talk about, but all we got is time, right? So let’s just slowly figure it out,” he answered before he leaned in to press a kiss to the side of Eren’s lips in a bid to erase the frown from his mate’s mouth, “Love you.”

As soon as the words left Levi's lips, a high pitched squeal escaped from Eren, mood effectively brightened as he hid his face behind his hands. He didn't move away though, enjoying the pleasure of the circles Levi was massaging into his hips making him want to squeak again. Separating his fingers to peer at Levi from behind his hands, Eren demanded, "Say it again!" as he wiggled his hips beneath Levi's hold.

The Alpha laughed breathily and squeezed Eren’s hips, watching the glittering green of his eyes through the Omega’s spread fingers. He was so damn adorable like that. “I love you… Won’t you get tired of hearing it?” he answered, the fond half smile cocked on his lips while his hands slid around further to knead at the swell of the other male’s rear.

Eren's eyes fluttered shut, his hands falling from his face to rest on Levi's chest as his head tipped back slightly. "Mmmm..." he hummed , pushing his ass back into Levi's hands, "Probably not... I feel so good when you say it... Makes me so happy..."

Levi cupped Eren’s ass more firmly, massaging the pleasant plumpness, using the grip to pull Eren’s pelvis flush against his own, head tilting as his smile turned a tad wicked. “S’that so sweetness, how happy?” he asked, voice dropping to something sultry and silky as he eyed his mate, affection and heat in his eyes and colouring his sea salt citrus scent.

"Mmm... I don't know," Eren said, panting slightly as his hips rolled into Levi's, his own scent thickening in the space around them and mingling pleasantly with his Apha’s, "It's kind of hard to come up with the right words when your hands are groping my ass."

"Hmm, guess I should stop then," the Alpha said, hands stilling on Eren's ass as he leaned in to ghost his lips along the Omega's neck and the slowly fading marks there instead. "I love everything about you sweetness, the way you smell, the way you taste," he paused, mouthing over Eren's pulse and growling appreciatively, "The way you feel in my arms. The way I feel when I'm with you." He pressed kisses up the Omega's neck and along his jaw, nipping lightly, teasingly.

Eren's eyes opened and he whined loudly in protest as soon as Levi's hands stopped kneading at his ass, but blushed even deeper as Levi continued to speak. "Hah," he shuddered as Levi leaned in to tease the sensitive skin of his neck with his mouth, "Took you long enough to figure it out, silly Alpha..." Eren stuck his tongue out petulantly then raised one hand to fan his burning face. "It's kinda hot in here... Your teasing is making my blood boil, see?" he said, grabbing one of Levi's hands to feel his warm forehead then pulled it lower to feel the heat of his chest and abdomen. Tiny gasps escaped his mouth as the Alpha’s touch left a stinging trail of pleasure.

“Who’s teasing? I call this romancing,” came Levi’s gravelly response, breath washing over Eren’s dampened skin as he let the Omega guide his hands where he wanted them. He rolled his hips in a torturous motion, giving them both enough friction for their breaths to hitch. He smiled and purred silkily against his mate’s skin. “I’m so lucky to have such a pretty mate.”

Eren giggled, his eyes shining before he stepped a short distance away to twirl for Levi. "Like what you see then Alpha?" he asked, looking over his shoulder as he backed up to press his ass into Levi's concealed erection, "Or maybe my ass magic is drawing you in..."

Levi palmed Eren’s hips, grinding his erection into his mate’s offered rear with a rumbling hum of appreciation. “Mmn, didn’t I say before, it’s not your ass that I fell in love with? It’s everything else sweetness, though your ass if definitely a perk,” the Alpha replied, one hand sliding up under Eren’s clothing to spread over his taut belly and draw him back against Levi’s chest as he rubbed his straining length against the Omega tauntingly. He pressed kisses along the pretty nape of Eren’s neck, tasting the sweetness of his skin again; he’d never get enough of it.

Eren immediately started to giggle, squirming in Levi's grip as he was peppered with kisses. “You're tickling me!” he squealed, shaking through his laughter and attempting to pull away but not trying too hard. He turned in Levi's arms with a bright smile on his face, looking down on Levi with stars in his eyes. “I love you too,” he said, resting his hands on Levi's chest before he leaned down to give him a light kiss. 

He rested his forehead against Levi's and sighed as he rubbed his nose against the man's. “Sometimes I think one of these days I'm gonna wake up in the morning and all of this will be a dream… That I wished you loved me so bad that I managed to hallucinate the last few weeks… I didn't think I was that creative,” Eren said, his eyes still closed as he lifted his arms to wrap around Levi's neck tightly like he was afraid of being let go, which he was… terribly. “You're real right?” he asked, his voice a little quieter, a little weakness showing in the waver at the end of his speech and the tinge of anxiety in his scent, “You got me… Right?” 

Levi’s eyes were soft and warm, his grip firm and unwavering as he held Eren closer. A low rumbling croon echoed in his chest as his comforting scent wrapped protectively around the Omega, sensing the anxiety and need in Eren for assurance. “I’m real sweetness. I’m here and I have you,” he murmured quietly, kneading away the tension in his mate with gentle fingertips and coaxing him towards the living room so that he could pull him into his lap on the sofa to continue cuddling and comforting the other male. “You’re precious and I’m going to keep you, I promise,” he said as he pressed adoring kisses over his mate’s smooth, tanned skin.

Eren sat straddling Levi's lap, his green eyes staring into Levi's silver as the Alpha reassured him, a wrinkle of worry between his eyebrows. "But like... Okay... I don't know why your promises make me as nervous as they make me happy," Eren said, biting his bottom lip and looking down, knowing that he was really bringing their whole night down with his worry. "But how do I know I won't scare you off again? Everything I know you know I want is everything you've always said you _didn't_ want... And like..." Eren started to ramble, his hand coming up to pull at his hair anxiously, starting to go in a downward spiral of fear inside his head, "I know you're not trying to lie to me... You're not. I know you're not... I'm just... Dunno... When I'm with you, I feel on top of the world and then when we are apart, I get up in my head thinking I'm forcing you into shit you don't want even though you said you want it and to give you time since the ocean..." He took a deep breath as he tried to stop his verbal diarrhea, pinching his nose and squinting his eyes in frustration and telling himself to stop. He needed to just stop. Their night had been so wonderful and Eren knew he was fucking it up.

“Hey, don’t do that sweetness,” Levi cooed, reaching to grasp Eren’s hands in his own and pulling them against his chest, still crooning lowly, trying to soothe the Omega’s concerns. “It’s okay Eren. You aren’t forcing me. I won’t lie and say I’m not nervous about the things I know you want, the things I never wanted for myself, but I know I want you. I can’t imagine a future without you in it anymore, and everyday that comes and goes that I get to have you makes it a little more comfortable, a little less unnerving. I want to bond you a little more everyday, just like I love you a little more everyday. It freaks me out, probably more because it’s so easy to want it with you, but I’m managing. I don’t know what I’m doing, if I’m doing things right, but I’m trying. And I’m scared, but I’m not running. You mean everything to me,” he said, the sincere words flowing quick and soft from between his lips, holding Eren’s hands in one of his while his other slid through Eren’s hair tenderly.

Eren squirmed in Levi's lap, but didn't try to pull away, allowing the Alpha to soothe his worries even though they were still alive and present at the back of his mind. As soon as Levi had finished speaking, Eren's face was already lifting into a cautious half smile and he dived forward to capture Levi's lips in a passionate heavy kiss. He broke away a moment to whisper, "You're making me wanna be selfish," his lips brushing Levi's as he spoke, sliding his hips closer to Levi's so that they could sit flush together on the couch.

The Alpha hummed appreciatively, the hand in Eren’s hair sliding to the back of his head, fingers tangled in the soft chestnut strands while his other hand slipped around to the small of the Omega’s back, fingers spread lovingly and warm over the base of his spine. “Hmm, I don’t mind spoiling you princess. You deserve to be a little selfish I think,” he breathed against Eren’s mouth, shifting his hips under the other male’s, pressing his confined erection up against Eren’s backside with a purring hum of pleasure.

“Mmm…” hummed Eren, savouring the taste of Levi's mouth on his tongue before he pulled his hands from Levi's grip to pull off the kimono and throw it to the ground. “Spoil me then…” Eren demanded, rolling his hips over Levi's lap, the friction making them both shudder with pleasure. “Your princess wants to be worshipped and loved… Maybe together we can banish all my worry and doubt so this anxiety will stop eating away at me…”

“That’s a demand I definitely don’t mind following,” Levi murmured, palming at Eren’s hips, rubbing up against him for a few long moments, before he laid the Omega out on the sofa. His silvery gaze crawled over the sprawled form hungrily, his hands moving to touch, reverent and adoring as they slipped under Eren’s clothing, nimbly unbuttoning his shorts and bunching up his shirt. His fingertips caressed over the smooth skin, tracing bone and lithe muscle, humming encouragement when his mate arched and pleasure hitched breathy whines escaped Eren’s mouth. “So beautiful,” he observed softly before he bowed over the Omega to press lips, tongue and teeth to flesh, revelling in the scent and taste of his mate.

Eren's eye lids fluttered, threatening to close due to pleasure, but he forced them to stay open, to watch Levi move over him, his pale skin clashing with Eren's tanned. "Levi...You make me feel..." Eren breathed, his back arching off the couch as Levi's hands ran over his skin, "So good... so fucking amazing..." He began to pull at Levi's shirt and lift it over his head, desperate to see Levi's beefy toned torso and run his hands over it, make his Alpha feel as good as he felt.

"S'good sweetness. Pretty sure my hands were made for you," the Alpha replied, leaning back and letting Eren peel off his shirt, the defined muscles of his torso and abdomen tensing and fluttering under the pressure of Eren's greedy fingertips. He leaned back over him to mouth at his neck and jaw to his lips, breathing hotly against them, "My mouth too. Didn't know it 'til I met you. Made just for you. S'why it scares me..."

Eren shook his head. "No... No more fear... Nothing will hurt when we are together right? Everything is good... Everything will be good as long as we love each other," Eren said, smiling up at Levi, then trying to catch his mouth with his own. His hands were groping every part of Levi he could reach before they strayed lower, undoing the Alpha’s jeans to palm the stretched and now damp navy boxer briefs that Levi wore.

Levi's breath hitched as Eren groped at his cloth covered cock, hips rolling forward, desperately seeking further friction. His own hands eagerly tugged at the Omega's shorts until he could pull them off the long, lithe legs and he smoothed his palms up the soft, silky skin of Eren's thighs tenderly, an appreciative growl rumbling in his chest. "Yes... Promising perfection is probably impossible, but as long as we're together, it's close enough princess. Love you so much Eren," he murmured, still groping at thighs and hips, teasing along Eren's straining cock and backside as he pressed his own hips firmly into the Omega's seeking hands.

Eren gasped in desperation, his hands aggressively pulling Levi's jeans and underwear down his thighs then wrapping his legs around Levi's hips to pull their cocks together. "T-There we go..." Eren breathed shakily, rolling his hips into the heat of the Alpha’s. "So fucking... horny... Fuck," he cursed, "Couldn't wait ‘til... had you.. _Ah_... to myself..."

Levi groaned, pinning Eren back on the sofa and rutting against him, kneading at his thighs roughly as their cocks slid against one another. He sucked marks into the Omega’s collarbones and chest, panting heatedly over the wetted skin, “You never can sweetness, not that I have any complaints about that… Fuck, you’re gorgeous.” The fingers of his left hand crept under Eren and between the plush cheeks of his ass, teasing against the eager little hole there, pressing and rubbing little circles over it while he rocked his hips against Eren’s.

As soon as Levi touched such a sensitive spot, Eren squeaked like Levi shocked him and immediately began to slick. He had been holding it in, trying to appear less needy, less desperate, but he couldn't when Levi touched him directly. It seemed to be an automatic response to the Alpha to slick. "Fuck it's like you can make me slick on command," Eren said with wide eyes, lifting his head to look up at Levi in awe. "Like a goddamn magician... It ain't fair," he whined, blowing a breath out into Levi's face.

The Alpha chuckled and pressed a finger inside the swiftly slicking orifice, leaning over to nip at Eren's ear, murmuring huskily, "Abra kadabra."

"Asshole," Eren hissed though his eyes rolled back and his neck went limp, allowing his head to fall back against the couch, wiggling his hips as Levi pressed deeper inside. "T-That's good, mmm..." Eren cooed as his cock twitched against Levi's, losing himself to the pleasure of the Alpha’s probing finger moving around familiarly inside him. "More!" he soon found himself demanding, the heat in his belly rising. He was going to spill so much when they were done, he could already tell.

Following the command, Levi pressed in another finger and another not too long after that, Eren's body greedily accepting and drawing the digits further in. He thrust them in and out, twisting his wrist a bit and crooking them in search of the Omega's prostate. He hummed and growled lowly as Eren's hips ground into his own, cock weeping precum enthusiastically as it slid alongside his mate's. His other hand snaked between them to wrap around both lengths with firm pressure and stroked in time with the thrusting of his fingers.

Through little gasps and whimpers, Eren steadily became looser and slicker, perfectly ready to take his Alpha. Levi could have even skipped the foreplay, but he always seemed determined to take Eren apart slowly and methodically no matter what Eren said. "Okay, okay, okay, okay, okay, please Levi! I need it!" he said, fingernails digging into Levi's back, his body trembling violently from the sensations.

“Such a spoiled little princess,” Levi rumbled huskily, affection in the words as he slid his fingers out and positioned himself to press the blunted head of his cock against Eren’s fluttering and slippery entrance, pressing in teasingly. His hands sought Eren’s hips again, growling encouragement as the Omega’s fingernails dug into his shoulder blades insistently while he sunk inside him by inches, pace torturous, until he bottomed out inside his mate’s slick heat. He leaned in to mouth over Eren’s throat, panting harshly and murmuring praise, rocking back and forward again powerful and methodical with each rolling motion. “So good inside you sweetness… Mmn, so wet for me, squeezing so tight… You like that hm?” his voice was breathy and strained as he kept his pace, building the heat between them slowly but steadily, intense and adoring as his mate came undone under him.

"Yes..." Eren answered, squeezing his thighs around Levi's hips and digging his heels into the Alpha’s ass, pushing him to move faster and harder, "Fuck yes... I love you Levi... Love your cock..." He moved his hips in time with Levi's, pushing up when the Alpha pushed down, rolling rhythmically together. He was quickly losing himself in the moment before suddenly his eyes went wide and he squeaked, not prepared for the tortuously ticklish sensation of his feet being licked. "Levi! Nix! Fuck!" he squealed, unable to move away from Levi's thrusting, but not really wanting too either. He couldn't help but cringe as the malamute attacked his feet.

The Alpha grunted and slowed his movements while he looked over his shoulder at his dog currently molesting his mate's feet. He tried not to laugh, he really did as he ordered, "Get lost you shithead, you already had his attention earlier. I'm done sharing." Phoenix whined, but backed off, simply sitting and watching the two males on the sofa with curious eyes. Levi only shook his head and turned his attention back to his Omega, wasting no time in finding his rhythm once again.

"L-Levi! Wait," Eren stuttered, face bright red as he breathed hard, shifting his hands to hold the Alpha’s hips still. "He's watching us!" Eren whined, lifting his head to meet the innocent gaze of Phoenix, "I can't! It's weird! We are corrupting his innocence!" Eren made no note of how many times Nix had seen them be intimate before, but he couldn't shake the feeling of his baby Nix watching them screw.

Levi's head dropped to Eren's shoulder and he breathed out a harsh breath as he shook with the effort to remain still, eyes closed for a couple seconds before he looked back over his shoulder again at the dog. "Nix, go to bed," he ordered, waiting until the malamute begrudgingly obeyed and trotted to the bed he had under the steps to the loft, before he huffed, "Perverted mutt." 

He looked back at the red Omega, "Better sweetness?"

"Soo much better," Eren sighed, letting go of Levi's hips with a relieved smile, shifting underneath Levi and jostling the length deep inside of him. His toes curled as he smiled devilishly up at Levi, lifting his head to suck marks into the Alpha’s neck. "Where were we?" Eren asked, rubbing his hands down the sweat slicked expanse of Levi's back, rolling his hips to entice him to move once again.

"Mm right about here, I think," Levi replied as he abruptly thrust hard and deep into the Omega, beginning to rock harshly in and out of the younger male, angling his hips to assault Eren's prostate intently.

"Oh fuck!" Eren cried out, not ready for the onslaught on his delicate prostate. His nails immediately started to dig into Levi's back, drawing blood as he bucked his hips into Levi's desperately. "Oh god! That's it! Levi, fuck! Right there, right there, right there," the Omega moaned loudly, the fire in his belly so hot that he wasn't sure how long he was going to last. "I'm close!" he said hurriedly, biting his lip and arching his back high off of the couch.

Levi growled guttural and breathless, thrusting roughly as his knot began to flare while one of his hands fisted around Eren’s cock. “Mmn cum for me sweetness,” he commanded huskily, grinding his growing knot against the clenching ring of muscle, the head of his cock insistently rubbing over the Omega’s prostate. 

"Ah!" the Omega yelled, spilling over Levi's hand, unable to hold back from the Alpha’s husky command. He came a lot, just like he’d thought he would, trembling and gasping for breath as Levi continued to rut in and out of him. "C'mon... Knot me, Alpha!" he demanded, rutting up into Levi to help with the man's pleasure even though his stretched hole was over-sensitized and begging him to stop.

Levi grunted and panted harshly as he rocked in and out a handful of times more before abruptly forcing his knot inside the Omega, burying his face against Eren’s neck and leaving another dark mark there as he filled his mate with cum. He shuddered and held Eren tight as he rode out his orgasm while Eren’s body milked his cock greedily. “Mine,” he growled lowly against Eren’s skin, pressing his lips to the mark he’d left possessively.

"Yeah?" Eren said with a shudder, feeling his hole stretch to accommodate Levi's knot with deep seeded satisfaction. He panted for a moment, chest heaving up and down as he willed his body to calm after such an intense orgasm, before he blew a rather loud raspberry at Levi. "I'll believe it when there's actually a scar on my neck from your bite love..." he said teasingly, not really meaning it as he wrapped his arms around Levi's neck to hold him as close as possible even though they were both now sticky from sweat and cum.

Levi hummed, pressing an affectionate kiss under Eren’s ear and shifting to more comfortably wait out his knot as he held the Omega. “Spoiled…” he murmured quietly, smiling against Eren’s skin and petting at his sides, “I love you.” Eren would get his wish just as soon as Levi was sure the Omega wouldn’t somehow come to regret it. It seemed like it would be too soon now when they’d only just gotten back together, when Levi had only just confessed and it was all so new and after everything that had happened, there was still so much to learn, but there was time. He had no intention of letting Eren go after all, no matter how long it might take for him to be ready.


	29. Weatherproofing

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thanks very much for all the kind comments and support! Enjoy this update!

Four days later, Eren woke up with a start, almost falling out bed and looking around wildly before he remembered that he was actually in his own home for once instead of Levi's. It seemed that he was spending most days at the Alpha's place and his house was starting to feel... almost foreign to him; like he didn't belong there and was just visiting. Lifting his hand to rub his sleepy eyes into focus, he looked to his side and frowned at the empty bed before he realized that Levi must have already left, a fresh and heavy scent mark branded onto Eren's skin so that they could both go to work without anxiety. He was so gentle that Eren hadn't even woken up, cozy and happy in his slumber surrounded by the heat and smell of his Alpha. 

Rolling over, he patted the nightstand until he found his phone, flopping back into the comfort of his blankets and pillows, but needing to know what time it was since he must have woken up before his alarm went off or else the alarm would have been blaring to wake him up for work. Eren had been whining to Levi for hours the night before since he had to go into work early for some sort of meeting with the higher ups. It was a very last minute appointment ridiculously early in the morning; an hour before any of Eren's workers were required to show up. It made him grumble unhappily, cringing as the white light of his screen burned his retinas. 

“Fuck me,” he whispered, closing his eyes for a second and then blinking, needing to adjust to the sudden bright light. Except, when his eyes did make out the numbers displayed on the lock screen of his phone, he had to blink again because obviously that couldn't be the time. 

After about five more blinks, the numbers didn't change and he could almost feel his heart skip before he flailed, whipping his covers off to scramble out of bed and dash to his closet. “Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, duck, fuck a duck, fuck a fucking duck,” he squealed, trying to throw on a blouse with a blazer, a tight black pencil skirt and panty hose with red pumps before he grabbed his make up bag to do in the car. There was no way he could have a meeting with his bosses and not look respectable. He screamed all the way through his house and to the car, driving like a maniac and honking as much as he could to reach the office on time. 

His red heels clicked loudly on the pavement from the parking lot to the the lobby of the building, tip toeing on the six inch heels and cursing himself for even wearing heels when he was late. Slipping across the smooth marble flooring, he tried to move even faster as he noticed the elevator doors closing ahead of him, his shouts of “Wait!” ignored by whoever was inside. Eren managed to dive forward and stick his hand in the elevator door to make it reopen for him to slip in, his face scrunching up in pain and waving his hand from the sting of the doors closing on it. He was so focused on making sure that he didn't break a nail that the large presence behind him went unnoticed until a deep chuckle sounded in the small and quiet elevator.

The Omega froze, instant fear taking ahold of his body and choking him as a familiar chocolate cherry scent surrounded him, making Eren swallow the sudden need to gag. He was locked in a tiny space with his crazy ex boyfriend, and Eren was so terrified it took every single shred of self control not to begin to tremble. Maybe if Eren ignored him, they could ride the elevator in peace? That's what he hoped at least as he watched the change of floors, urging the dings to sound faster. 

“Eren,” said Reiner, his voice smooth and smug, forcing Eren to flinch and then cringe at how obvious his fear was on display. The Omega knew his scent was filled with distress, there was nothing he could do about it, but somehow it angered Eren. He didn't want Reiner to know that he still had an affect on the Omega, but obviously that ship had sailed. 

Turning around, Eren arranged his face into the most unimpressed look he could possibly muster as he cocked a hip and crossed his arms. The man was leaning against the elevator wall, looking completely cool and collected with his blue Armani suit and giant Rolex watch. The Alpha’s nonchalance was enough to make Eren's blood boil, his teeth grinding together harshly in his mouth. “Reiner,” he finally answered when he could pry his jaw open, facing the man who had abused him and nearly forced a bond on him with his head held high. 

Reiner’s blue eyes slowly trailed up and down Eren's body with a disgusting smirk on his face, finally lingering on the Omega’s exposed and unmarked neck. “It's been a while,” he said with a nod, “I see you haven't been marked by the runt yet.” 

As soon as the words left Reiner’s ugly mouth, Eren visibly bristled, hands clenching into balls from where they were tucked across his chest. “I hardly think that's any of your business. If you have nothing of importance to say then we don't need to speak,” he said with as much venom as he could possibly fit into the words before turning his back to the Alpha and trying to ignore his presence. 

“Mmm… Suit yourself,” Reiner replied with a shrug, his attitude just as full of himself and cocky as ever before. 

After what seemed like forever, the elevator finally opened to the floor Eren needed and he was about to breathe a sigh of relief and exit before he noticed that Reiner got off too. Instantly annoyed, Eren began to quickly walk down the deserted hall, soon taking a left as he made his way towards the boardroom. There should be no reason for Reiner to come to this end of the floor, except that Eren could feel Reiner following him, turning left as well and matching Eren's pace. His annoyance turning to fear once again, Eren walked even faster, glancing back every so often to see the smug smile of Reiner still following him. What was the Alpha doing? Probably just fucking with the Omega. He wouldn't dare pull anything at work, would he? 

No answers to his questions were found as Eren's heart beat erratically, his head now fully turned to look behind and keep an eye on Reiner as he dashed down the hall. Reiner matched Eren's pace again, lengthening his long stride as his smile grew malicious on his face. _He's going to catch me!_ Eren suddenly thought, terror seeping into his bones as he started to all out run down the hall, turning his head in desperate search for the room in which he was meeting his superiors. Behind him, the thudding steps of Reiner’s gait turning to a sprint startled him like a death toll was sounding and the tears that formed in Eren’s eyes suddenly threatened to fall. Reiner was going to catch him; he was going to assault him again! There was no way Eren could fight him off and there was no bathroom to hide in. 

Reiner was so close, Eren could almost feel him stepping on his heels, breathing down his neck, reaching out to grab. The Omega was so focused on Reiner behind him that he almost ran straight into the suddenly opened door in front of him. In a split second decision, he turned sharply and dashed into the room full of his superiors, disheveled and on the verge of tears, grabbing his chest and whipping around to see if Reiner would follow. 

“What the devil is going on here?” Mr. Weilman yelled, looking at Eren like he had lost his mind. 

“Nothing, nothing,” Reiner said, walking calmly into the room as he straightened his suit. He looked at the faces of his superiors sitting at the table to one side; Nanaba, the head of HR, and then the other heads, Ian Dietrch, Rico Brzenska, Marlowe Freudenburg and Hitch Dreyse. At the head of the table sat the CEO and chief of the company, Dot Pixis. “Is there something going on that I should be aware of?” he asked curiously, looking to Kitz.

“Nothing of your concern. Internal matters,” Kitz said, his voice wavering only slightly as he addressed the much larger Alpha. 

“Alright then,” Reiner said with a small bow for the board, shooting a bright smile at Eren before he turned to exit and shut the door. 

In the time it took for Reiner to leave, Eren composed himself and looked towards the members of the board, suddenly feeling anxious for a whole _new_ reason. All of his superiors were Alphas, very high up in the food chain of the company, and he had no idea what the meeting was about so already he was at a disadvantage. Stepping forward, he took a seat, tucking his ankles to the side to sit properly with his hands folded in his lap. With a fake smile, he asked, “May we begin?” 

***

Hours later, Eren stood in his backyard, looking off the porch as he smoked cigarette after cigarette. The Omega stood in the same place for so long, he remained unaware that the sun had set and that he was shrouded in darkness. It had been a very long day and every little detail kept playing in his mind over and over to the point that he was frozen like a statue and stuck in limbo. 

Levi let himself and Nix into Eren’s house, calling out a greeting as he removed his footwear, already showered after his day at work and dressed in casual black board shorts and a deep blue-purple v-neck. He frowned when there was no immediate response from his Omega and made his way further into the house, Phoenix trotting next to him, down the hall to the kitchen where he caught a whiff of smoke through the open window. His brows immediately furrowed in concern and he opened the backdoor without hesitation, stepping out onto the deck behind his mate. He sidled up behind Eren and wrapped his arms around his waist, giving him a little squeeze, his scent affectionate and concerned, protective. “Hey sweetness, how come you’re out here smoking? What happened?” he questioned in a soft, smooth tone. Eren had been doing so well quitting and there was no doubt that something must have stressed him out enough to fall back on the habit. 

Flinching, Eren's scowl turned even darker, unreleased rage rising to the surface of his skin where Levi had decided to touch him without his permission; although the Alpha had never needed it before. "Let. Go," Eren ordered darkly, every ounce of venom he could muster laced into the two words. Somewhere in the back of his mind, he knew that Levi was innocent and if he calmed down, the Alpha would probably comfort him after the day he’d had, but for some reason Eren had become a ticking time bomb and Levi had just walked out into a minefield.

The Alpha swallowed and his brows pinched together further, but he followed the command, let go of the Omega and gave him space, uncertain as to what he possibly could have done to warrant such malice from his mate and hoping that it was just a bi-product of a shitty day at work. “Talk to me sweetness. I dunno what’s going on, and I won’t if you don’t tell me. If you want space, I can do that, but I’m here if you want to I dunno, scream or something,” he offered, tone still soft, careful, trying to be supportive and hopefully not say the _wrong_ thing. He didn’t exactly have the best track record, but he couldn’t just stay silent when Eren was obviously upset. 

"Urghhhhh," Eren suddenly screamed, stomping his feet hard into the wood and beating his fists up and down. His little fit lasted for a solid minute before he turned on his red Christian Louboutin pumps to stomp his way into the house, slamming the French door behind him. Eren was only inside for two seconds before he ripped the door open again, hobbling unevenly back outside after taking off one shoe, as if he’d forgotten what he was doing before he’d changed direction entirely. 

He walked right back up to Levi, feet spread apart in a fighting stance, eyes inflamed with rage as he locked in on his target. "You Alphas all think you are so much better than the rest of us!" he yelled, almost shaking as he exploded, not even seeing Levi anymore, only seeing the smug faces of Reiner and the Alphas on the board. "You think just ‘cause you have a fucking stupid knot, you are stronger and can fucking trample over everyone and anything in your way. Well you fucking can't!" he said, seething as he began to pace. He tripped over the one heel he was wearing, making him screech out a string of curse words before he reached down to take it off, holding both shoes like weapons in his hands.

Levi recoiled and raised his hands in surrender, otherwise unmoving as his mate exploded, the frustration and outraged upset potent in his scent and in his voice. The Alpha held in a breath for a long moment before letting it out slow and silent, his own scent instinctively reacting to Eren’s, warm and soothing, filled with compassion and understanding. “I’m sorry Eren… I don’t think that. I really… really don’t. I never have, you know that. I know better, but not all Alphas have learned or been taught otherwise and I’m sorry for that,” he said, still quiet and calm to Eren’s volatile and intense anger. He could guess what had sparked something like this, but in the past, Eren’s complaints had never been so explosive, so it must have been something much worse that had brought on the Omega’s temper. “Tell me what happened today… Please? I won’t even talk; I’ll just listen, okay?”

"Yeah?" Eren spat, pausing his pacing to look at Levi in contempt, "You're so much better than all the Alpha assholes trying to fire me, huh? Don't look down on Omegas at all? Then why did you leave me in the middle of a heat, even though you fucking knew how much pain it would put me through?" Eren stepped closer to glare right into Levi's eyes, his hot breath panting onto Levi's face. 

"You used my fucking anatomy against me. I haven't had a heat since, taking an overdose of birth control to delay it and damaging my body because I'm too afraid to go through that again," he admitted, face scrunched up, "You completely fucked me over, just like Reiner is trying to do right now." Eren held Levi's gaze until his breath hitched and he turned away to breathe deeply so that he wouldn't begin to cry. "Reiner is going to take everything from me, everything I have worked towards. He's going to destroy my career just because I am an Omega and he can," Eren said, bending at the knees to squat into a little ball, the feeling of being weak and powerless finally overwhelming him.

Levi’s expression turned pained as Eren spoke. He hadn’t known just how badly he’d fucked up before; Eren wasn’t right, but he wasn’t wrong either. Levi hadn’t been honest like he should’ve been back then and they hadn’t talked about it since. He’d wondered about Eren’s heat, but hadn’t quite worked up the nerve to ask about it and now he knew… He was silent until Eren had finished and very carefully stepped closer to his mate, kneeling down in front of him, but not touching him even though he wanted to. His instincts were screaming at him to console his mate, take the Omega in his arms and soothe him, but Eren needed words and he needed acknowledgement, understanding, and an apology. If after that, the Omega sought comfort in his embrace, Levi would be more than willing to supply him with it.

The Alpha wet his lips, inhaled and exhaled, inhaled again, “I don’t know if I’m better Eren, but I try and I don’t look down on you or any other Omega. What happened with your heat was on me… I got scared and I ran like a coward because I… I don’t think I could resist bonding you, not then and definitely not in the future. I hurt you and I don’t even have enough apologies to make up for it, but I will spend the rest of my life trying to,” he paused, swallowed, closed his eyes a moment and clenched his fingers in the fabric of his shorts before he continued, addressing the rest of what his mate had said, “That bastard isn’t going to succeed in whatever scheme he’s attempting, I can promise that, but you’re gonna have to tell me what exactly happened, all of it. You know I will help you fight; I’ll always have your back, not because I’m your Alpha or because you aren’t strong enough on your own, but because it’s right and because I love you. That said, why are they trying to fire you?”

Eren sniffled, looking up from his crossed arms that he was using to hide his face, green eyes filled with tears. He hadn't expected Levi's admission, thought that the Alpha would stoop to his level and scream back; but he didn't. No, Levi was looking at him with all the understanding and concern that had made Eren fall in love with him to begin with even though he was never supposed to. He hiccuped then sniffled again before his voice sounded, quiet and nasally since his nose was plugged with mucous, "I didn't know that... I didn't know that you felt that way about me back then..." Eren fell back from his squatted position onto his ass, throwing his head back and starting to cry in earnest like a small child. "I-I've had... One of the worst days of my entire l-l-life..." he bawled, lifting his arms in search of a hug, "N-Never been so ridiculed and, and, and, insulted in my life!"

Levi reacted immediately and without conscious thought as soon as Eren reached for him, wrapping the Omega in his arms, legs spread on either side of his mate as he drew him in and cradled him against his chest, unconcerned by the tears that were wetting his shirt. He crooned low in his chest and stroked Eren’s back as the Omega shook with sobs. “Shh, I got you sweetness. Who are they and what did they say?” Levi cooed soothingly, kneading comforting circles into his mate’s back and carding tender fingers through his hair. He could feel his own angry offense and protectiveness welling in his core, simmering there while he focused on Eren. 

He was going to make whatever had happened right. Reiner was not going to succeed in hurting Eren any further; Levi was going to make sure of it. The other Alpha should have quietly disappeared, but he’d obviously convinced himself he could get revenge for his bruised ego by underhandedly jeopardizing the Omega’s career in some way. He may as well have declared war because Levi was going to fight right alongside his mate and the abusive prick would be lucky if _he_ had a job once they were through with him. 

"It was so.... Awful! I don't even know where to start!" Eren cried, rubbing his face into Levi's chest, his arms snaking around the Alpha’s neck as the Omega moulded himself to Levi's body. "I'm so so s-sorry I got angry at you... You didn't do anything... Didn't deserve any of that... The only reason I got through it at all was smelling your scent mark on my skin... I'm just... so upset," Eren rambled, then bawled even harder, guilt now overwhelming him for getting mad at his innocent mate.

“It’s okay sweetness, I’m tougher than I look. Start wherever, I got all the time in the world for you,” Levi replied, brushing away the apology. He’d assumed as much even without Eren’s admission and he was more than willing to bear the brunt of the Omega’s frustration if it would help to ease his mate’s distraught. He gave him a tight squeeze of assurance and continued petting his mate, still crooning steadily in his chest while he enveloped Eren in his protective and adoring scent. 

Eren sniffled and coughed, trying to stop the burning sensation running down his throat from all the cigarettes he’d smoked. He removed his arms from Levi's neck to rest on Levi's chest while Eren nosed into the Alpha's scent gland for a fresh mark. "I need some water... Can we g-go inside?" he asked hoarsely, trying to stop crying, but the tears still fell in big fat drops, wetting both Levi's and Eren's clothes.

“‘Course we can sweetness,” Levi agreed, immediately shifting to pick Eren up and bring him inside, straight to the bedroom. He let him on the bed momentarily to retrieve a tall glass of cold water for the Omega, handing it off to him as soon as he’d returned and crawled into the bed with him. Situating himself behind his mate, he wrapped his arms back around Eren’s middle, massaging at his belly idly as he rested his chin on the Omega’s shoulder and pressed soft, soothing kisses against the side of his neck, patiently waiting for his mate to tell him the details of his awful day.

Eren took the glass of water gratefully, downing it in a few gulps, gasping then wiping the excess water off his lips. He leaned over slightly to rest the empty cup on the bed stand, then reached down to unzip his skirt so that he could shimmy out of his stockings and kick his shoes off the bed. Eren then leaned back into Levi, wiggling into the warmth as he unbuttoned his blouse halfway to feel like he could breath. "Okay..." he breathed shakily, rubbing his face so he could stay calm and tell the story correctly, "So my morning started off horribly ‘cause I forgot to set my alarm so I was late. I think I got ready in like two minutes and then when I got to the office, just guess who was in the fucking elevator? Reiner! That fucking asshole was in the elevator... Just my fucking luck right... Although now that I think about it, I bet he showed up early on purpose..."

There was a low, rumbling growl from Levi in response to the knowledge that Reiner had been anywhere near Eren without anyone else there to deter the blonde Alpha from further harassing him, let alone in a confined space like the elevator, but he didn’t say anything. He simply pulled Eren back against him and leaned himself back against the headboard of the Omega’s bed, continuing his gentle petting and massaging as he waited for Eren to continue. 

Nix meandered into the room, looking at the couple curled up at the head of the bed, his tail wagging slowly before he jumped up at the foot of the bed. He wiggled and belly crawled closer to Eren until he could lay his head on the Omega’s thigh, giving his hand a lick in a bid to provide his own comfort to the upset male. Levi smiled at him over Eren’s shoulder and reached to rub his knuckles between the Malamute’s eyes affectionately before he returned his hand to Eren’s abdomen, slipping it up beneath the loosened fabric of his blouse to spread over his smooth skin without the barrier.

"Then the fucker literally chased me all the way to the boardroom. At first I was just annoyed he was following me and then it turned into me fucking sprinting down the hallway ‘cause no one is in the building at that time. Do you know how hard it is to run at all in those shoes? He scared me so bad, I thought my heart was going to stop beating," Eren said, waving his arms in the air as he spoke for emphasis, before he shuddered at the memory, "It was like I was a character in the fucking Shining. Jesus fuck. And he only did it to scare me! Well I guess I don't really know why he did it ‘cause I got to the boardroom where all my bosses were waiting before he could actually grab me or anything, although now I don't even know if he was trying to grab me or what. It was all so fucking insane, I couldn't even believe it happened. I'm starting to doubt it even _did _happen..."__

__“It’s okay sweetness. Don’t start second guessing yourself. He’s a prick and regardless of _what_ he was actually intending, it scared you and that is all that fucking matters,” Levi said, voice deep and gravelly with his own anger for what his mate had gone through. If Levi saw the blonde again, Reiner would be a dead man._ _

__"Mmm..." Eren hummed, scrunching his face up before he sighed loudly. "That wasn't even the worst part... When I finally got to the meeting Reiner acted like nothing happened and he just left. But I knew he was up to something... He gave me the most smug look of superiority I have ever seen in my fucking life and I went to god damn business school... And I was right. I walked into a fucking ambush..."_ _

__Another low growl rumbled through the Alpha’s chest and he nosed behind Eren’s ear to soothe himself as much as his Omega. He inhaled deeply before exhaling slowly, pressing his mouth just under Eren’s ear tenderly for a few seconds before pulling away to rest his cheek against the side of the Omega’s head. “What happened in the meeting?” he asked quietly, voice still coarse with the promise of another growl that had yet to surface. He couldn’t exactly say he was surprised by the events that Reiner had obviously instigated, but he had hoped the other Alpha would leave well enough alone. He was already formulating ways in which he could assist Eren in the coming battle even though he didn’t have all the details yet. He had plenty of connections in town both personally and through both business and family. Reiner had seriously picked the wrong Omega to fuck with._ _

__"I don't know how he did it..." Eren started, beginning to shake with anger once again, "But he got one of our major clients to put in a complaint about me. That I was unprofessional and emotional on our latest portfolio with them. He also got a number of my employees to say that I abused my position as their superior, and used my dynamic to sexually harass my own employees. Me! Sexually harass others? Seriously?" With every word Eren spoke, his voice grew louder with anger and outrage. "I have never been anything but respectful to all of my workers and my clients. I have killed myself for this job and this company. So many hours of blood, sweat and tears working so that all my outcomes were perfect... And they accuse me of being some sort of Omega-nazi that refuses to do my job and thinks I can use my dynamic to manipulate others!" Eren took a couple deep breaths to stop his trembling. "Again! That's not even the worst part. After each of the board members took a turn dressing me up and down, looking through my entire file and questioning every decision I ever made, they were _kind_ enough to not fire me instantly. Instead I'm only on "probation"... But only if I agree to some... _Countermeasures_ to the unfortunate weakness of my dynamic," Eren said, voice dripping with sarcasm. "I am to _make sure_ that at all times, I am not to speak or act in any way that could "lead" an Alpha on. That includes the way I dress. I must not _send any sort of vibe_ to my employees or clients. So just because I'm an Omega, I obviously increase my scent and bare my neck to any Alpha that may come my way... Also... Get this. They think I should either consider bonding sooner rather than later to discourage unmated Alphas or to at least keep my neck completely covered at all times... Those were seriously their fucking suggestions! They said that I have to try not to _flaunt_ my dynamic! What the fuck?"_ _

__The growl Levi had managed to hold back erupted in his chest full force, not at all pleased by the accusations and restrictions that had been placed on his mate. It was complete bullshit, entirely fabricated and disgustingly underhanded of Eren’s abusive ex to have sunk so low in order to reestablish his wounded pride when Eren could have, but hadn’t filed his own complaints or pressed charges against the arrogant Alpha. And it was almost unfathomable to the raven Alpha that Eren’s superiors would have taken the complaints at face value when all they would have to do was come and watch his department for a day to see the truth for themselves. Levi _knew_ exactly how much work Eren put into his career, knew how Eren had a habit of forgetting his own basic necessities in lieu of completing projects for said career, how he took his job beyond seriously, took pride in it and had had nothing but problems with harassment since he had begun working at the marketing agency. Levi had witnessed it with his own eyes for fuck’s sake. He closed his eyes for a long moment, counting down from ten in his head while he struggled to settle his scent and quell the thundering growls echoing in his chest._ _

__“Is Dot Pixis still the acting CEO?” he asked after he’d managed to get his rising irritation under control, fingertips kneading at Eren’s sides and hips firmly to keep himself from balling them into fists._ _

__Eren took comfort in his mate’s threatening growls. It made him feel validated and that he wasn't just being a whiny baby. He prided himself on having a thick skin, after being a high level businessman, he knew the prejudices of his chosen career. Hell, he was one of the only Omegas in his graduating class at university, he knew what type of environment he was putting himself into. Except, the board seemed to take every small insecurity Eren had and magnify them to criticize. It was truly one of his worst experiences that he would never forget._ _

__He was silent for a moment, just taking in the comfort Levi offered and starting to relax when he realized Levi’d asked him a question. Furrowing his brows, Eren lifted his chin to tip his head back and look at his Alpha in confusion. Eren said, "Pixis? Yeah he's the founding father of the entire company... He recruited me personally from Shiganshina and to be honest really went to bat for me today. Him and Nanaba who is the head of HR are the only reason I wasn't fired. Without their support I would have been axed without severance or reference..."_ _

__Levi hummed thoughtfully, recognizing the name Nanaba as well. He hadn’t realized he and Erwin’s buddy Mike’s high school sweetheart and bonded mate worked for the large Marketing company. Small world… Pixis on the other hand was a long time drinking and gambling buddy of his uncle’s and as far as Levi knew still attended Kenny’s Wednesday night poker games. He was going to have to make some calls and complaints of his own. “Good. At least they managed to keep that from happening. Just play their game for now sweetness and we’ll get things set straight, I promise. Reiner is definitely not going to get away with this bullshit. You’ve worked way too hard and dealt with more than enough shit from him and those other shitheads at work to let this go.”_ _

__Eren rolled in Levi's arms then pushed on the Alpha's chest so that he would lie down with Eren before he crawled over top of him. Looking deep into Levi's eyes, he asked, "You don't think I'm like that right? You wouldn't lie to me," his lips trembling with anxiety and his eyes almost glowing from all the crying he had done._ _

__"Of course not. I've been to your office, remember, seen you in your element and what you've had to put up with. I don't recall you flirting or using any Omega wiles on your subordinates, though I did notice them staring at your ass while you were busy working. And you most certainly weren't pawning your responsibilities off on anyone, probably doing more than is strictly necessary youself. I had to promise your mother that I was making sure you were getting enough sleep and eating sweetness. You love what you do and Omega or not, you're damn good at it. I'm proud to have such a successful mate," Levi said sincerely, leaning up and tilting his head so he could meet Eren's eyes, brushing stray strands of silky chestnut away from the Omega's face and tucking them behind his ear tenderly._ _

__Eren's eyes closed slowly, nuzzling into Levi's hand as a smile finally lifted on his face. "I love you... I don't think I could do this without you... I was ready to just quit and move back to Shiganshina this afternoon," he admitted quietly before he rolled to the side to nose into Levi's neck. "What are we going to do? It seems like Reiner's gonna win this battle... I don't think it's physically possible for me to work more unless I slept at the office... and even then my work would suffer in quality," he finished worriedly, biting his lip, and looking at Levi like the Alpha should tell him exactly what to do._ _

__Levi leaned in and pressed a kiss to the corner of Eren’s mouth before he answered, “You’re just going to play by their dumb rules for now and keep doing your job the way you always do. You’re going to come home to me and I’ll take care of you like I do and Wednesday, I’m going to go to poker night at my uncle’s place. Dot will be there. My uncle’s gonna ask me how things are going with you like he always does and I’ll just be honest, hm… I think hearing the real story might make them reevaluate the case against you. Maybe while you are at work the next couple days, talk to some of your employees that are loyal like your assistant so you have back up to corroborate your side when the next meeting comes up. Reiner’s not going to win sweetness; we’re not going to let him.”_ _

__"Okay," Eren said with a nod before biting his lip once again. "You think Pixis will listen to you? I'm afraid to ask him for anymore than he's already done for me... It was really risky for him to hire me like he did," Eren admitted, voice full of concern. Then a little chuckle passed his lips as he remembered his interview with Pixis months ago now. "In a way, you wouldn't have met me without him. He dragged me all the way to Trost _and_ recommended your company even though your website was shitty..."_ _

__Levi chuckled and ruffled Eren's hair affectionately. "You aren't asking, I am and the truth isn't a favour, it's a right. He has no reason not to listen to me. He and my uncle have known each other for like I dunno, eight hundred years give or take. I used to cut his lawn and prune his rose garden when I was a teenager. I haven't seen him in a long while, but I don't imagine he's changed much. He's always been a pretty fair man. I'll have to thank him for his unintended matchmaking," he said, laying back into the pillows and pulling Eren with him. He hummed thoughtfully as he glanced the time on the alarm clock on the nightstand, then continued speaking, changing the subject for a moment, "Let's order in tonight. What are you in the mood for princess?"_ _

__"Oh..." Eren said quietly, starting to fidget. "Um... I don't know. I'm not really hungry," he said nervously, "I haven't eaten anything since yesterday... I'll probably get hungry if I smell it though..."_ _

__"Hmm, that's no good sweetness, but it's understandable given the circumstances. How do you feel about Thai?" Levi suggested, removing one arm from around Eren to dig his cell out of his back pocket._ _

__"Mm... Sounds good. I just wanna lay here indefinitely with you and maybe get some before I crash," he said, unwilling to stop being a barnacle stuck to Levi's side. "Let's eat dinner in bed. I promise not to spill," he added, knowing how much Levi needed things to be clean._ _

__"You got it princess. Anything you want. Why don't you find a movie for us to watch while we cuddle and wait for food?" Levi affirmed, more than willing to accommodate his mate; it wasn't bad once in awhile just to stay in bed together. He sat up a bit and peeled off his shirt, tossing it towards the hamper before he got comfortable once again. He immediately drew Eren closer, letting the Omega curl against him, a contented thrumming croon echoing in his chest as he managed to place an online order one handed, his other firmly wrapped around his mate and trailing his fingertips up and down Eren's side lazily._ _

__Eren began to purr as he focused on Levi's hands on his skin. In a sleepy voice, he said, "I know a lot of what I said was fucked up... And I really don't resent you... I wasn't gonna tell you about the heat thing ‘cause I thought we'd figure it out eventually... I definitely didn't want a repeat of last time, so I figured it'd be better if I just... Left it for a while."_ _

__Levi confirmed the order and set his phone aside on the nightstand before he looked back at his mate, sinking down comfortably and giving him a squeeze. "It's okay sweetness. It's because of me that you felt that way. I was a little afraid to ask you about it to be honest. I didn't want to make you feel pressured or upset you after everything that happened. You don't have to keep that kind of stuff from me, but it's alright. When it happens, next time will be different," he said before dropping kisses to the crown of Eren's head fondly._ _

__"Hmmm," Eren answered, already drifting away from their conversation, lulled by the warmth and scent that Levi exuded. "Wake me up when food gets here," he mumbled, snuggling into Levi's side as he curled in a little ball, falling to sleep easily as Levi held him closely._ _

__“Anything princess,” the Alpha breathed, pressing his lips to the top of Eren’s head once again and simply holding him with protective tenderness and crooning quietly to him as his mate slept._ _


	30. Planting Perrenials

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Update!! Hope you all enjoy it! 
> 
> As always, kudos and comments are welcome and we encourage you to find us on tumblr!

By the time Wednesday rolled around, Levi had already spoken to his uncle, letting him know he’d be attending that week’s poker game. Kenny’d been thrilled enough; his nephew didn’t come out to gamble and drink with “the boys” very often. So Levi arrived at ten to eight with a bottle of Johnny Walker blue for Pixis, having learned from Kenny that it was his favoured drink. For the price of it, Levi wasn’t surprised in the least.

He let himself into his uncle’s garage via the side door where his uncle held his games. The air was smoky and heavy with the smell of cigars and Old Spice, laughter and bantering voices mingling with the clinking of glasses and the subtle shuffling of cards. He meandered around the corner to see the card table and the occupants seated around it, smoking, drinking and talking loudly. Levi shook his head; the things he did for love…

“Levi!” Kenny’s voice boomed as he noticed his nephew’s arrival, clapping him on the shoulder once the younger Alpha had come to join them around the table. 

Levi nodded at the others, including Pixis, gathered around the table while Kenny made swift introductions before his uncle pressed him to sit down and he set the bottle of liquor he’d brought with him on the table as he popped into the offered seat. Kenny followed suit once he’d set a glass in front of his nephew, and began dealing cards. “So Levi, you still going steady with that Omega? Yer ma said you’ve been bringing ‘im to dinner. So when do I get to meet the little missus?” he asked with a crooked smile. 

“Pfft, never,” Levi deadpanned, looking at the cards in his hand.

“Why the fuck not?” Kenny demanded, though it was all good natured.

“I’d actually like to keep him,” the younger Alpha replied, a little grin turning up the corner of his lips as he tossed a couple chips into the pot to get the round started.

Pixis, seated beside Levi, was already reeking of the cigar he was puffing on along with the glass of harder liquor in his hand, leaning to one side with colour tinting his cheeks. He had come early to join Kenny in some pregame shooters and the old Alpha was already feeling loose and relaxed. Setting down his glass, he swiped the bottle of blue whiskey from in front of Levi with a crooked smile, already reading the label with glee. "Levi my boy, you shouldn't have," he said with glee, knowing that Levi wasn't much of a drinker so the bottle should be for him and Kenny. Pixis managed to twist it open with one hand and took a generous swig before he turned to Kenny to offer the liquor, his features twisting into a lecherous smirk. "What's this I hear?The playboy is finally settling down?" Pixis asked, before his perverted grin turned back to Levi, "Bet he's a stunner... Nice and curvy I hope. I myself could never resist a good squeeze of a nicely shaped buttocks." He wiggled his fingers at Levi with a wink before he began to laugh heartily along with Kenny.

“He’s something special. Beautiful, smart, successful and most importantly, willing to put up with my shit. I’m a lucky bastard, just wish he didn’t have to put up with so much shit from Alphas at work. His ex is causing trouble for him right now, arrogant piece of shit that he is,” Levi answered, tossing in another couple chips to the accumulated pile. 

“The one you beat the shit out of and tried to force the bond on him?” Kenny questioned, having heard all about it from his sister the last time she’d called. She’d been ecstatic and all too eager to give him all the details she’d managed to pry out of Levi about what had happened leading up to he and Eren getting back together, but he hadn’t yet heard anything about the ex causing any further trouble for the couple.

“That’s the one. He works at the same place as Eren, just in a different department. He’s apparently too much of a dick to leave quietly after what he did, so now he’s trying to ruin Eren’s career. It’s complete bullshit. I should’ve made sure to put him in the damn hospital.”

Pixis smile dropped as his eyes grew cold. He was a ruthless business man and strategist, but he had a humongous soft spot; especially since his daughter was an Omega. "That right there is a crying shame," he said, shaking his head as he threw his own chips in the pile, "If you're not Alpha enough to get an Omega to consent to a proper bonding, you're no Alpha at all... Worse than piss under my goddamn boots is what I say..." Pixis growled, taking another swig of liquor. 

"Here, here!" Kenny said, banging his fist on the table in agreement as all the other old men began to bang along with him in support. 

"Damn crying shame. What ever happened to being a fucking gentleman?" Pixis continued to rant, waving his bottle around making the liquor slosh dangerously close to spilling, "I tell ya, if anything of the sort happened to my Millie," he said, almost in a calm murderous rage at the thought, "Whichever pisshole touched my daughter would be beyond dead. Their family would be dead and any sort of business. I'd chase the whole line right out of Trost, I would!" The promise was very genuine and those around the table nodded their heads in agreement, having known Pixis for several years. The man was good for his word. 

Suddenly his eyes widened and Pixis whipped his head to look at Levi in surprise. "Did you say your sweetheart was named Eren?" he asked, clearly remembering a favourite employee that his board had always been disapproving of.

Levi watched with a somewhat amused expression as Pixis ranted, sobering when the older male asked after Eren, abruptly ending his righteous monologue. The raven nodded, “Mm, yeah, Eren Jaeger. You’ve probably heard of him. He’s the head of marketing at your company.”

Pixis set down the alcohol and his cigar, then lifted his hand to scratch his chin, looking at Levi with fresh calculating eyes. "Jaeger, huh? Didn't take you to chase after such a spit fire... The boy is a wonderful worker and some of his innovative ideas in marketing have made me an even wealthier man..." Pixis observed, his yellow eyes trailing over Levi like he was suddenly inspecting the Alpha's worth. "I was even keen on introducing him to my own Alpha son to which he declined... However," said Pixis, his face scrunching up in a troubled expression, "There's been a spot of trouble with Eren lately... It was kind of hard to believe, but my board made a very compelling argument..." His voice trailed off, clearly unhappy with the whole situation.

“Yeah, he told me as much on Monday. He was so fucking upset. And it didn’t help that Reiner chased him all the way to the meeting too just to scare him. The son of a bitch is lucky I don’t know where he lives. I swear to god. I can’t believe he intimidated or bribed people to bring up complaints against Eren. I’ve been to the office and seen how much harassment he puts up with. He even put in complaints to HR when he first started working there. Now they’re accusing him of using his dynamic to manipulate employees and clients. It’s a fucking joke,” Levi said as he folded, tossing his cards towards Kenny and taking a sip of the dark liquid in his tumbler.

Pixis frowned as he laid his cards out, a royal flush, much to the groans and swears of his buddies around him. But his mind wasn't focused on the game anymore, it was focused on the infighting in the upper ranks of his company. "I was told... a much different report..." Pixis said haltingly, starting to sound skeptical of his board’s case. "Reiner, eh?... _That's_ who Eren's ex is? What was an Omega like him doing with a bully like that?" wondered Pixis aloud before he pulled his winning stack of chips towards him. He lit another cigar and took a few puffs as his eyes darkened. "You know... When Millie had just barely had her first heat... We had an office Christmas party... Reiner had _hit_ on my own teenage daughter right in front of me... I've kept her away from the company ever since," he said, flicking a chip in his hand then taking a deep drag of the cigar and blowing it out of his nose. "I have no love for Reiner Braun... So I'm inclined to believe yours and Eren's version of events... Except... It’s hearsay now. And Reiner has more evidence, no matter how fake it may be. Did Eren file a police report? Document his abuse? Anything?"

"Unfortunately no. The police force doesn't generally do much here for Omegas. But there were other people that witnessed his abuse. He wasn't exactly discreet about it. Even my mom noticed when they went for lunch at her cafe. And I'm sure some of Eren's employees would be willing to provide character statements; prior to our break up and him dating Reiner, Eren had complained about him and threatened to report him for harassment with his assistant right there to witness it. From what Eren told me, they didn't investigate at all. Honestly, all you'd have to do is go spend the day watching his office and you'd see for yourself; it'd be hard to argue that Eren's the one harassing anyone. Don't you have cameras in the elevator and hallways, I'm sure you could find out if Reiner actually chased him or not," Levi said, leaning back in his chair idly as he took over dealing cards for his uncle who refilled his glass along with his own.

"Mmmm," Pixis hummed, deep in thought as he bent his cards up from the table to check them. "I'm really not supposed to be discussing this," he said, spinning his cup with his wrist to swirl his drink, "But it was my decision to allow Eren to continue on probation... Your boy’s ass would be fried if I hadn’t been there to protect him. The board didn't even think it necessary for me to attend... However I'm not one to fire someone willy nilly... Especially someone I’ve had my eye on for years hoping he'd work for my company," he said, turning to look Levi straight in the eye. "Truthfully, if I helped Eren further, it would be for my own selfish reasons. I'd be happy to get rid of Reiner... I would have done it sooner, except his family are big investors in the company... That's how he even got the job to begin with... You need to find me something tangible, Levi, if you want me to outright fire him," he explained, urging Levi to give him something more than he already had.

Levi sighed. He should have known it wouldn't be enough. Without some kind of concrete proof, Reiner would get off with minor consequences if any at all and Eren would likely suffer more for it. They needed something that couldn't be disputed. He wondered if Eren had any messages on his old phone from the blonde, after all, Eren had implied they'd fought often and Levi’d witnessed enough of their interactions to have no doubts about it. 

"It should be enough that people could provide witness statements, but I get it. What happens if we get that evidence? Reiner gets canned, but what about Eren? He deserves an apology from your board for how they've handled things," his voice was low, frustrated by the unfairness of their society. Even with laws for Omega protection yin place, Alphas still got away with abusing them and using their power to get what they wanted. More often than not, Omegas were blamed and the cycle never stopped. Levi wasn't going to let Eren become another statistic.

Pixis lifted his hand to clap Levi on the shoulder. "You picked a fine Omega, boy. If you find me that evidence, I will personally protect Eren from any fallout caused by Reiner's dismissal. Until then, I will even go the extra mile; Reiner should have no reason to be anywhere near Eren at the company," he promised solemnly, truly wanting to help in any way he could and also knowing how frustrating the politics of the business world could be from experience. "I can't really protect Eren outside the office, but I'm sure you'll keep your Omega safe without me needing to privately hire some Alpha bodyguards for my favourite employee," Pixis said, a sudden smirk gracing his lips once again, "Can't let bright eyes and an ass like that get harmed now can we?"

Levi narrowed his eyes at the older Alpha, cocking his head a bit to the side, “Of course not. He deserves protection and respect same as anyone. We’ll find you what you need,” he promised, pausing a moment to take a sip of his drink. “And Pixis, don’t talk about his ass,” he murmured, a dangerous little smirk curling on his lips.

"I may be old but I have eyes Levi," Pixis ribbed, taking a swig from his glass before he turned his smirk to Kenny. "Your nephew here bagged a god damn beauty queen Ackerman... Hopefully their kids don't take after you though," he said nonchalantly.

Levi scoffed and shook his head as Kenny laughed raucously. “This is why you don’t get to meet him,” he grumbled as he collected the cards and began to shuffle them again, ignoring the teasing banter as the others joined in.

It was maybe two hours later give or take when Levi arrived at home where Eren had opted to wait for him. He hadn’t drank much after his first two glasses and had been plenty sober to drive himself home once the game had come to a close. He’d wished everyone a goodnight, shook hands with Pixis, thanked him and promised to have something he could use soon, though he didn’t yet have a clue what it would be. He smelled like smoke and liquor and Old Spice and his nose wrinkled as he sniffed himself before entering his home.

Eren was on Levi the minute he walked in the door, uncaring of the smell of smoke or liquor as he threw himself into Levi's arms and wrapped his legs around the Alpha’s waist. "You've been gone for forever! Me and Nix didn't think you'd ever come back!" Eren whined, rubbing his face into Levi's neck aggressively, his whole body stinking of anxiety and distress even though he wore Levi's giant green shirt and a pair of Levi's black workout shorts. He'd been very much on edge the last few days, and probably two hundred times more needy, but Levi, being the lovely Alpha he was, didn't seem to mind one bit. "How'd it go? Did Pixis get mad? Was he apathetic? What did you say? What did he say? You need to tell me every word... Fuck you should have just let me go with you. I was dying here by myself... Well that's not true, I had my Nixxy baby with me. But it was hard... I wanted to text bomb you..." Eren babbled a mile a minute.

Levi managed to catch his mate, palming his ass and thighs to steady him as Eren wrapped himself around the Alpha and he tilted his head to allow his mate better access tyo the glands on his throat. His scent quickly escalated in response to the Omega’s anxiety and permeated the air around them, overshadowing the other smells that clung to him from the events of the evening. His fingers kneaded at Eren’s thighs and backside as he carried him to the kitchen, settling him onto the island top, but remaining close to him. 

He shifted his hands to the Omega’s lower back and continued kneading at the tenseness there as he replied to the barrage of questions, “He didn’t get mad and he wasn’t apathetic. He said he would be more than happy to get rid of Reiner and to investigate the allegations against you if we can provide him with some concrete evidence that Reiner has a history of abuse and harassment in regards to you personally. It should be enough with just the witness and character statements, but because of the shitty politics when it comes to dynamic, we’re going to have to have more than that. I knew I should have called the cops on that fuck… Though even that might not have been enough. Such fucking bullshit, just like what happened with my Ma. My dad didn’t have to take any responsibility for being a piece of shit and neither does Reiner unless we can provide like audio or visual evidence or something,” he paused, nuzzling back against his mate, nose brushing under Eren’s ear and pressing a soft, apologetic kiss there. “I told Pixis he needed to get a hold of the footage from the building the other day and see if he can’t find the bit with Reiner chasing you. It wouldn’t be enough to do more than reprimand him, but it’s a start and if we can find something else, then it will only help your case. Do you have any old messages or inappropriate emails, voicemails, that kind of shit?”

Eren was silent for a few moments then heaved a huge sigh. Pulling back to look at Levi with a gentle and warm smile, he gave the Alpha a smooch. "You did your best and it's better than nothing," he said soothingly, not wanting to transfer his anxiety onto Levi. Eren frowned and tried to remember. "Reiner didn't text me much. Everything bad he ever said was in person... Smart fucker," Eren swore, biting his lip. "We could still look through my phone... Maybe he slipped up and left a voicemail or some shit. I made sure when they fixed it that they didn't wipe anything," he continued, pulling his phone out of his pocket to bring to life. On the screen was a candid picture of Levi sleeping in bed, shirt half up to show off his defined eight pack. Eren spluttered then blushed, trying to hide his phone before Levi could see it, but it was already too late.

The Alpha raised a shapely brow, a knowing little smirk quirking up the corner of his lips as he hummed thoughtfully after having caught sight of the background pic on Eren’s phone. “Been taking photos of me without my permission, have you? Little sneak, you’re lucky you’re so damn cute,” he said, giving Eren’s hips a squeeze and leaning in to nip at the Omega’s collarbone as punishment, though he couldn’t say he minded, really. He had his own pictures of Eren on his phone; he may or may not have used the silly picture his mate had sent him weeks ago as the contact photo for the younger male, so it was the one that showed up when Eren called him and he smiled every time.

"Oh fuck off," Eren pouted, trying to keep a smile from forming on his lips as he pushed Levi's shoulder before he opened up his phone to scroll through. "Mmm..." he hummed, looking through the messages and finding nothing, "I was right... No nasty texts..." Eren's frown turned into a scowl, frustratedly closing out of the app then accidentally opening his photo app. He sighed and was about to close out of it when he noticed a video in one of the folders that he'd never bothered to look at before. "Huh," he said, opening it up and waiting for it to play, "What's this? I don't really take videos with my phone..." 

The picture was blurry and the sound muffled and Eren was almost about to close it, thinking he accidentally videotaped his pocket when the loud bangs of someone hitting a door sounded through the phone’s speakers. 

Eren's jaw dropped and he looked up in surprise at Levi as Reiner's voice rang out clearly. _Eren,_ Reiner cooed, muffled but audible through the door, _You're just making this harder for yourself! Come out and I'll be gentle._

 _No!_ the panicked voice of Eren screamed back through the speaker. The Omega hurriedly paused the video as his breath quickened, shoving his phone towards Levi because he didn't want to remember the experience too clearly. This was why he hadn't had Reiner arrested in the first place. He just wanted to forget it happened at all.

Levi took the offered phone from his mate, crooning low in his chest as he used his unoccupied hand to guide the Omega’s head against the crook of his neck protectively. He pressed play on the video, but only long enough to be sure there was enough evidence, pausing it again as he vaguely made out his own arrival. He remembered vividly what had transpired both during the call before Eren’s phone had broken and after he’d arrived, but he hadn’t heard the in between until just now. He would have to listen over again later to properly review the details, but it was enough for the moment and he sent a copy of the video to his own phone before he exited out of it entirely and set Eren’s phone down on the island. 

“It’s alright sweetness. I think that’s just what we need to win against him. You don’t have to listen to it again for now. I’ll take care of copying it and getting it to Pixis. You just worry about getting your employees on your side,” he paused, stroking his fingers through the back of Eren’s hair, “Do you want to come take a shower with me? We don’t have to talk about him or anything else regarding all that bullshit; it’s just us right now, hm?”

"I'm so... I'm so fucking stupid..." Eren whispered into Levi's neck as his hand fisted into the front of Levi's shirt. "I was so lonely... I thought being with him was better than being by myself..." he continued, his voice wavering dangerously on the edge of breaking, "I was such a fucking coward... I didn't want to be alone... All the bad things that happened... If I just would have been strong enough, they wouldn't have happened at all... None of this fucking shit would have happened..."

“Hey enough of that. It was because I was such a coward that you were made to feel like that and I’ve never been so sorry. You can’t know if this wouldn’t have still happened. Reiner had his mind made up before you and I had ever even broken up. He’d planned right from the start to try to trap you. I should have stepped in sooner. I should have never given him the chance. But it doesn’t matter now. The past is just that. We are together now and I’m going to take care of you. You’re strong enough to make it through this sweetness, I promise. And when you’re not, I’ll be strong for you, okay?” the Alpha murmured soothingly, cradling Eren against him and picking him back up to take him into the bathroom instead. He flipped on the low lights and sat Eren on the countertop, simply holding him for the moment, in no particular rush, willing to wait patiently until his mate was ready to get into the bath.

Eren sniffled then pulled back to reach up and aggressively rub the tears from his eyes. He was so sick of crying, it wasn't even funny. Eren's eyes were stinging and red and the green was almost glowing from the irritation when he finally lifted them to meet Levi's eyes. "I just wanna be happy..." Eren said, trying to release his pent up frustration and sadness.

Levi reached up to thumb over Eren's flushed cheeks, brushing away any stray tears and continued to croon huskily. "You will be sweetness; I'll make sure of it. Everything will get better, you'll see," he assured quietly, sincerity in the words as he spoke them, his eyes warm and liquid mercury as he watched Eren's.

Eren didn't reply vocally, just gave a small nod of his head. "Bath time?" he asked, reaching down to pull off his oversized shirt then began to try and pull off Levi's shirt as well. "You smell like liquor, smoke, and old men," Eren teased, wrinkling his nose as he tried to act more cheerful, not wanting to dwell and be sad any longer.

“Mm, that’s why I didn’t want you to come with me. Bunch of old lechers would have been all over you. You’re too damn pretty,” Levi said as he leaned back and assisted the Omega in removing his shirt, his abs flexing with the movement, fingers automatically slipping to unfasten his jeans once the shirt was off. He let them drop to the floor and stepped out of them as his hands slid up Eren’s thighs to the waistband of his borrowed shorts, tucking his thumbs under the elastic and giving them a playful tug.

Eren made a face as he put his hands on the counter to lift his hips so that Levi could slide off the shorts. "Pixis is like a thousand years old... Be super weird if he hit on me..." he said with a cringe, before he eyed Levi up and down. "Hmmm... I've never met your uncle though... Why is that? Do you look like him?" Eren asked, having a complete ulterior motive behind his supposedly innocent inquiry.

“Fuck no and I pray to god I don’t ever look like him when I get to be his age. He looks like a dirty old cowboy. Thank fuck I look more like my Ma. The reason you haven’t met him is because he talks like a dirty old cowboy too. He’s more embarrassing than she is,” the Alpha replied, sliding Eren’s shorts off and kneading at his thighs, migrating up to his hips then to his sides, caressing firmly, his gaze following his hands on his mate’s skin. His thumbs brushed along the sides of Eren’s belly, tracing the lines of muscle there that were slowly fading from sharp planes to the soft, smooth lines Levi had always found so attractive. Eren was so fucking beautiful. “If you want to meet him, I can see if he wants to have dinner or something. He’s been harassing me to meet you ever since my Ma told him I was serious about you,” Levi offered idly, mercury eyes half dilated and flickering up to his mate’s briefly before he bent forward to press adoring kisses around Eren’s pretty little navel, humming appreciatively.

Eren's toes curled and his back arched as the Alpha pressed heated kisses onto his belly. "Hah... Too bad... It'd be hot to see an older version of you," Eren teased, squirming where he sat on the counter.

"Mm, well you keep me around long enough, you'll get to see eventually,” Levi murmured against Eren’s skin, his breath a warm wash over the kiss dampened flesh. His mouth travelled down to nip teasingly at the enticing protrusion of his mate’s hipbone, his hands kneading at the perfect dimples over Eren’s backside and the plump curve of his ass. 

Eren's face was already flushed bright red, leaning back onto his elbows to watch Levi kiss and nip his skin. "That's a very tempting offer Levi," Eren purred, legs lifting to wrap around Levi's hips, "Are we skipping the bath love?"

Levi hummed, trailing kisses and affectionate nips back up Eren's belly, over his chest and collarbones before he finally pulled back enough to look at him again and answered, "Not at all, just wanted to remind you how precious you are to me. It's hard not to worship your skin when it's on display like this, hm." He palmed at the Omega's smooth thighs wrapped around his waist, sliding his hands up and down appreciatively before he hitched Eren up again and turned towards the spacious Jacuzzi tub.

Eren giggled and clung to Levi as he was hauled to the side of the tub. "You know... I've never really been picked up like this by a partner... I’m usually too tall and lanky... You're the only Alpha that has ever treated me like a proper Omega," Eren admitted bashfully as he nuzzled his face into Levi's. "I like being independent... But I guess I like being treated like an Omega sometimes as well... Since I am one," he tried to explain.

Levi reached blindly with one hand to turn on the taps and drop the plug in the tub as he listened to Eren and returned the affectionate nuzzling in kind. His hand immediately returned to where it had been previously once the tub was filling and a thrumming hum reverberated in his chest. “I’ve never really thought about it. It’s never been awkward to lift you and you aren’t heavy. It just happens naturally. Your height’s never bothered me and independent or not,you deserve to be pampered. I can’t say I mind doting on you Princess. I don’t understand how any Alpha could treat you any other way, but it’s their loss,” he replied, pressing kisses under Eren’s ear and along his jaw.

Eren smiled brightly at Levi and gave him a big kiss before he turned and slipped into the water that was quickly filling the tub. "Mmm," he hummed, leaning back against the side as he relaxed into the water, "Feels so good... The stress is being soaked right out of me..."

The Alpha straightened and thumbed at the waistband of his boxer briefs, smiling at the Omega as Eren sank down into the steaming water, idling as he watched him relax. He slipped the underwear off moments later, leaving them with their other discarded clothing. He moved to pour some soothing lavender and vanilla scented salts into the water to further relax his mate before he slipped into the tub with him. “Mm, c’mere sweetness, I’ll wash your back,” he offered, already reaching for the vanilla brown sugar body wash he’d begun keeping stocked for Eren, and a plush bath poof.

Eren opened one eye lazily when he realized they had fallen closed then gave Levi a sleepy smirk before he floated forward to offer his back to the Alpha. "Back washes are the best," Eren sighed, turning his neck to look back at Levi with a heated gaze as his wet fingers ran through his hair.

Levi hummed his agreement, meeting Eren's heated eyes with his own and smiling roguishly as he began to lather the other male's skin. He ran the sudsy loofa over the Omega's shoulders and the back of his neck, down between his shoulder blades and over them in soothing circles before he leaned forward, pressing his chest to Eren's back so that he could reach around to scrub his chest. He nosed into the damp hair behind Eren's ear, inhaling the sweet scent of vanilla and coconut that the Omega naturally gave off, an appreciative growl rumbling in his chest. "Mm, you smell so good. I missed you tonight," he murmured as he nuzzled behind his mate's ear affectionately, ignoring his awakening erection as it pressed against Eren's back.

“Missed you too,” Eren sighed, relaxing back into Levi's chest fully, focusing on letting his body just go loose in the warm water. “I've been clingy as fuck lately… Don't know how you've put up with me,” he mumbled in addition, resting his head on Levi's shoulder so he could turn his head and nose into Levi's scent gland. He sighed again, smiling into the Alpha’s skin and spoke before he really thought about what he was saying since he hadn't meant to say it aloud, “It'd probably be easier if we were bonded…” 

Levi made a husky sound of agreement in his throat, lips caressing damp skin as he replied, “It would, but it might actually work against your case with Reiner… He could paint you as the kind of flighty Omega that switches Alphas like underwear love. You’ll lose credibility and the board will dismiss everything because you’ve bonded like that makes it all okay. I promise, when this is all over, I won’t make you wait any longer. I want my marks on you.”

Eren sighed deeply, turning in Levi's lap to straddle the Alpha’s thighs. “This is bullshit,” he said angrily, pout returning to his just relaxed face, “I'm tired of waiting… I want you to bite me…” With that, Eren turned his head to bare his throat in submission, showing off the soft tan and unmarked skin.

"Don't tempt me sweetness. I know it's not fair," the Alpha growled against his mate's skin, unable to keep himself from burying his face against the offered column. His teeth physically throbbed, aching to claim and scar the Omega, finding it harder with each passing day not to brand him. Had the circumstances not been what they currently were, he had no doubt his restraint shatter entirely. But he could not ignore the insistent cautioning in the back of his head that warned how it might label his mate poorly in light of the situation. "Don't make me keep telling you to wait. It hurts to refuse you."

“Sorry, I'll stop,” Eren purred apologetically giving Levi a puppy dog pout before he began nuzzling his own face into Levi's affectionately but also with thinly veiled aggression. 

The Alpha abruptly gripped Eren's backside and stood up from the tub, hitching his mate up and pressing him up against the tiled wall, setting his teeth and tongue to the glands at Eren's throat, his erection rubbing between the wet cheeks of his backside. They were right across from and visible in the mirror over the sink; Eren would be able to see himself and the muscles of Levi's back as he rutted up against him. He growled against his neck, "Fuck, you drive me crazy... It’s not enough, but for now it has to be.”

Levi moved so fast that all Eren could do was let out a high pitched distressed squeak until Levi began to rub against Eren's slick hole. “Jesus fuck… I'm wet! You could have dropped me,” Eren groused then opened his eyes to give Levi a halfhearted glare even though his body betrayed him, rutting and rolling his hips into the Alpha’s just as enthusiastically. It didn't take long for Eren to notice them in the mirror, his face turning a deep shade of magenta as his eyes glazed over, dilated pupils fixed on the solid planes of Levi's muscular back. 

Eren licked his lips in anticipation, lifting his hands to dig his nails in at the top of Levi's back and rake them down, watching intently as he left long red trails on Levi's pale skin. He smirked with satisfaction at the shudder that swept through Levi's body, making the Alpha secrete even more oily scent from his glands. There was no way that Eren could resist eagerly lapping at the substance, so he immediately began licking long strips up Levi's neck to his jaw, panting at the addictive flavour.

"Nn, I'd never drop something so precious sweetness," Levi growled as Eren's nails left burning trails down his back and roughly hitched the younger male up further against the wall. He adjusted his grip, kneading at Eren's ass as he rubbed his cock against the excitable little hole. "Hold on tight Princess," he warned gutturally as he felt slick along his length and smelled it seconds after, his eyes dilating swiftly as he panted harshly, his own scent rising sharp with possession and desire.

“ _Levi… Oh God_ ” Eren moaned, locking his arms around Levi's neck and legs around Levi's waist in a death grip, almost vibrating with anticipation. Levi continued to tease him, pressing his blunted head against Eren's slick entrance, but not enough to push in passed the tight ring of muscles. “Why don't you fuck me already?” Eren hissed in frustration, now trying to wiggle out of Levi's grasp. “Let me down then! I'll ride you instead!” he ordered, rage boiling under his skin from his desire not being sated. Levi had him all worked up now and Eren wasn't in the mood for his merciless teasing. The Omega wanted it hard and fast; as rough as Levi could fuck him into the wall. And he would get what he wanted, all he had to do was figure out how to get out of Levi's vice grip and get him on the floor so he could line himself up on top of the Alpha. 

Levi chuckled against Eren's skin, low, breathy and sinful, teasing another moment as he firmed his grip further keeping his mate captive regardless of how slippery his skin was. Water sloshed around his calves as he abruptly thrust inside his mate, hilting himself in one swift motion and not waiting for the Omega to catch his breath as he began rocking into him harshly, slapping sounds echoing around the tiled bathroom as he fucked into Eren hard and fast, grunting and growling ferally.

“Fuck,” Eren wailed as he threw his head back, one hand clawing into Levi's back while the other pulled on the longer strands of Levi's undercut. “Alpha! Yes, just like that… _haahh_...” he managed to say before his words became incomprehensible, just a collection of Omegan whines calling out to his mate. Digging his heels into Levi's lower back, he began to roll his hips into Levi's, lewd squelching sounds getting louder as even more slick poured out of Eren and leaked down his plump thighs. 

Levi murmured and growled praise over Eren's skin, lips, teeth and tongue leaving fresh marks along his bared throat and shoulder, squeezing at the plush flesh in his grip and moving as swiftly and deeply as possible inside the slick passage that kept clenching and rippling tightly around him. It was possessive and rough with it as Levi took his mate, attuned acutely to his mate's body and understanding what he needed from his Alpha. And it was good, the most satisfying way to impress himself on the Omega and erase the anxiety between them; Eren could forget Reiner, forget the struggle and unfairness of it all while Levi was inside him and that was something fucking beautiful. He could already feel his knot swelling, catching with every squelching pull and lewd shove of his thrusts.

Eren's cries became even louder as he felt Levi's knot start to grow and his glazed over eyes were pleading with Levi to bite him as his scent called to the Alpha for a bond. He wanted the Alpha to bond him, breed him, give him his seed so that Eren could give Levi babies. It didn't matter that Eren was infertile, he couldn't even think rationally in this moment; he was so close, so close he could almost taste Levi's blood on his tongue. Eren's eyes drifted from Levi's icy glare to stare down at the Alpha’s neck, bearing his teeth with a whine, about to dive down to bite Levi's neck. But, at the last moment he was able to restrain himself, shoving his own arm up to bite himself hard instead. As soon as his blood began to flow heavily, Eren came violently with a cry, his whole body spasming and his vision going completely white as he rode out his orgasm. 

Levi snarled, instincts irritated by the continued refusal to bond, violently screeching as the Omega’s teeth sunk into his own flesh, instead of the Alpha's. Levi was at war with how he felt about it. He wanted Eren's mark as much as he wanted to see his on the other male; it was like torture now that he had to restrain himself when he'd finally decided Eren should be his bonded mate. Unfair...

The coppery scent of his mate's bittersweet blood mingled with the potent scent of Eren's desire as the Omega arched and clamped down tight around him, body taut and shuddering in Levi's hold as Eren's climax claimed him. It was only breaths and a handful of brutal thrusts later that the Alpha slammed his hips flush with Eren's backside and forced his knot inside him, growling as he filled his mate with his seed, cock throbbing and jerking inside the eager passage and his knot swelled further and trapped him in place, desperately trying to breed the Omega. It was the barest consolation to his instincts that were still wild under his skin and aching in his teeth for a bonding.

Panting, Eren finally removed his teeth from his arm, revealing the deep purple and bloody bite mark on his skin. The Omega didn't look like he was in pain though, more like sated and happy as he came down from the high of his orgasm. He was about to say something to Levi, probably some more incoherent babbling, but the words died on his tongue when he scented anger and frustration mingling in Levi's aroused and possessive scent. “I-I'm sorry!” he squeaked, his scent now full of distress at his Alpha’s displeasure, “I didn't mean to! I really didn't! And I managed not to bite you!” Eren started to sniffle as his eyes became wet, ready to bawl since he had almost betrayed Levi and bonded him without permission. “Please don't be mad at me! I know you don't want to bond yet! It's just… Fuck, I'm sorry Levi!” he cried, tears streaming down his face in earnest. He couldn't help but think how similar this was to the last time Eren had cried after sex, but that seemed like a lifetime ago, not mere months instead. 

Levi's expression softened as soon as the first waver sounded in Eren's voice, his hands turning gentle as they rubbed up and down his mate's sides, scent turning apologetic immediately. He nuzzled under Eren's ear, shaking his head slightly, replying in a hoarse tone, "Don't cry, I'm not mad sweetness, not about that. I'm... I want to... And I can't. I love you so much, it hurts Eren." He hugged the other male against the wall, pressing tender kisses along his mate's throat and jaw to his lips, hands adoring and soothing on his skin, "Don't be sorry, you didn't do anything wrong, I promise."

Eren's bottom lip was quivering as he tried to stop crying, hands lifting to rub at his eyes. “I love you too,” he said, fresh tears falling down his cheeks. “I don't know what's wrong with me… I don't even want to accidentally bond either… But I want you so bad… You make me crazy,” he said, nuzzling into Levi's neck, nosing at the very place he wanted to bite down on. Eren glanced down at his arm with a grimace, blood still running and coating both of them in red. “I don't really want to bite you like this though… it would hurt you… I don't want that,” Eren admitted, showing Levi the brutal mark on his arm. 

Levi pressed his mouth to the mark Eren showed him, kissing and cleaning it with his tongue before he drew Eren in against him and moved to get out of the tub careful not to jostle his mate too much as he moved. He didn't even bother to snag more than a hand towel before he was making his way to his bedroom with Eren still wrapped around him. He crooned quietly even as he replied, voice still a little breathless, "It wouldn't hurt me sweetness, I'm sure of that. I'm not rushing, but it's getting harder to keep abstaining. Every time I'm in you, knotting you, even just holding you now, I know I want it. It's there all the time and now that I really shouldn't, it's all I can think about."

He laid back onto his bed, holding Eren against him and trailing his fingers up and down his back in lazy patterns, unable to keep his hands idle with his Omega's skin so intimately pressed to his own and the distressed begging in his scent. Levi didn't know how else to soothe him. All he could do was promise to get the evidence to Pixis as quick as possible and hope things were resolved in a timely fashion so that they could focus on what was between them without any more interruptions instead.

Nuzzling into Levi's neck to hide his face, Eren whispered, “What if it doesn't work… And Reiner wins?” 

"He won't. I'm not going to let him," Levi promised, giving Eren a squeeze. Reiner wasn't going to get away with what he'd done. 

"Okay... I'm counting on you Levi," Eren said, kissing Levi on the delicate skin behind his ear before he relaxed even further on top of Levi, settling to go to sleep. The next couple of days would be hard, but Eren was sure that with Levi by his side, the Omega could achieve anything. 

Levi didn’t answer verbally, a quiet croon rumbling in his chest as he held Eren against him securely. He didn’t stop his caressing and petting, content to remain under the Omega and holding him until Eren fell asleep and Levi’s knot deflated. And even after that.


	31. Burning Brush

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heyooo  
> It's a new year, so a new chapter from Teapot and Xander, albeit a little shorter than our usual. We've been busy working on our Big Bang submission, so keep your eyes peeled for that within the next couple days.   
> Enjoyyyy

“Hey sweetness, where you at?” Levi called as he toed off his boots and looked through the mail he’d just retrieved from the box. He could hear Nix barking in the backyard and made his way over to the refrigerator, half listening for his mate as his attention was caught by a particular envelope addressed to him personally from Dot Pixis himself and stamped with the logo from Eren’s employers. He thumbed it from between the others and set them haphazardly on the counter as he tore it open, scanning the letter within intently as he opened the fridge with his unoccupied hand and pulled out a beer. 

He popped the cap off and reread the letter as he took a long swig of the chilled brew just to be sure it was real. He’d thought it would take longer but Dot had been true to his word and he wasn’t wasting time now that they had given him what he needed. Pride washed through him headily and a slow smile curled on his mouth before he called out again, “Eren, c’mere for a sec, I got something to show you.”

A muffled answer could be heard from the inside of the bathroom, but it wasn’t long before the door opened and a pile of steam rushed out along with a freshly bathed Eren. “Yeah?” the Omega answered, strutting into the kitchen with his skin still damp, only wearing a blue bralette and spandex shorts, rubbing his wet hair with a towel. “It better be good, you’re interrupting my prep. Beauty takes time,” he whined, but his lips were already curled in a half smile and his green eyes were shining. 

The Alpha chuckled, turning towards the other male as Eren made his entrance. “Mm, I dunno about that… I’m pretty sure you were born beautiful sweetness,” he murmured as he set his beer aside in order to slip his hand along his mate’s side appreciatively, lifting the letter in his other, “Reiner’s been suspended pending a final meeting of the board, but Pixis says you’ve as good as won.”

Eren snatched the letter out of Levi’s hand and turned slightly away from the Alpha as his eyes darted across the page. He sped read it two or three times as a frown fell on his lips. “That’s… That’s it?” Eren said, turning to Levi with furrowed brows, face full of worry, “It doesn’t feel like it should be so easy…” His voice trailed off as the Omega bit his lip and looked down at the page once again. “This is as disappointing as when I got my degree… so much work for one flimsy piece of paper,” Eren grumbled to himself, his coconut vanilla scent souring with annoyance and frustration. 

Levi sidled up behind his lover, tenderly wrapping his arms around the Omega and pressing his lips to the back of his neck. “I know it seems anticlimactic, but it’s good though. Couple weeks and you’ll officially be rid of that prick and the board will have to formally apologize to you for all that shit they said to you. I mean I know it doesn’t make it better that it happened at all, but it’s something… And it’s better than me finding him, beating him to death and ending up in prison,” he said in a soothing tone, vaguely swaying his mate as he held him, “As satisfying as that would be, it’d be awfully hard to bond you from behind bars.”

It was hard for Eren to continue to worry when he was wrapped up in Levi’s arms, his smell enveloping him in a cloud of safety and happiness. A smile forced Eren to stop biting his lip and the Omega finally relaxed enough to lean back into Levi with a heavy sigh. “Okay, okay. Your probably right… We both know there’s no way my libido could wait for conjugal visits,” he said, turning his head to give Levi a sly smirk. Even though Eren was smiling, it didn’t quite extend to his eyes for there was no way to banish his lingering worry completely except time. He would have to lean on Levi in the meantime. 

Levi hummed and kissed Eren’s shoulder tenderly, meeting his mate’s gaze through his lashes and giving his hips a supportive squeeze. “It’ll be for the best sweetness, I promise, even if it’s still a bit shitty for a couple weeks. You still cool with having dinner with my Uncle Kenny tonight?” he said, trying to change the subject to hopefully distract Eren from the worry he was trying to hide. Levi could smell it no matter how his mate smiled and pretended he wasn’t anxious at all; he couldn’t blame him after everything Reiner had done, but Levi wasn’t going to let the other Alpha hurt his mate again, no matter what it would take. 

“Yup,” Eren said, popping the ‘p’ before swooping down to give Levi a giant smooch on the cheek, “But I gotta hurry to the house and grab clothes before he comes… I don’t think he’d appreciate me looking like a slob in your stuff…” With one last smile, Eren removed himself from Levi’s arms to go upstairs and put on whatever he could find just to run his quick errand. 

Eren had run out of the clothes he brought to Levi’s house, and had been procrastinating going back to retrieve more. Ever since his break up with Reiner, he had been staying at Levi’s quite frequently, and exclusively since the board meeting. Thinking about all the back and forth made Eren feel exasperated and he would be lying to say he never considered moving in with Levi. But those considerations remained firmly unvoiced. Even though they agreed to work towards being mated in the future, Levi had said he needed time. The Omega was worried that asking for such a big jump in commitment like moving in together would freak the flighty Alpha out. Eren had just got Levi back so there was no way he would push Levi too far so he would deal with the inconvenience, case closed. 

Eren had been thinking so deeply about their living arrangement he hadn’t even realized he put on yesterday’s sundress and was in the process of slipping on his flats at the front door. He gave his head a shake then called out, “I’ll be back in a bit! Do you need anything while I’m out?” then bent forward, balancing precariously on one foot to hop around and fix his shoe. 

“Nah, I’m good sweetness,” Levi called back as he made his way into the bathroom, pausing in the doorway as his skin prickled, instinct reminding him he didn’t want Eren going places alone at the moment, though he’d never force the Omega. It was the main reason he had not minded that Eren had practically been living with him for the past few weeks. Levi was more comfortable where he could keep a protective watch over his mate; he didn’t even bother to justify it to himself. He wanted Eren with him and he kinda liked how needy Eren had been; Levi felt closer to him somehow as he doted on him without falter. He couldn’t tell Eren to wait or not to go at all; he knew the Omega wanted to look nice when meeting the elder Alpha Ackerman. It was only Kenny, but it was important to Eren like it had been to Levi when he’d talked to Eren’s father. He couldn’t go with him either and risk being in the shower when Kenny arrived; he couldn’t do that to his mate. So he compromised.

He gave a sharp whistle and seconds later, Nix came flying in the back door, looking at him brightly, head cocked in question. “Go with Eren,” he he ordered fondly and the dog took off. He heard a yelp and Eren scolding Nix through his laughter followed by Eren asking the dog if he wanted to come for a car ride which of fucking course he did. Levi chuckled and half closed the bathroom door as he started to strip, hearing the car doors and rumble of the engine coming to life as he dropped his pants and idly stepped out of them. He thought about Eren as he got into the shower. He loved Eren laughing; he was so pretty all lit up and Levi could picture him in such detail. He loved it more when he was the one that made Eren light up like that. He loved having him around all. The. Time. He never tired of seeing him, talking to him, touching him. Eren fit into his life as if he’d always been there, naturally and if Eren would rather call Levi’s house home than his own, he didn’t think he minded.

***

It was almost an hour later by the time Eren had finally texted that he was on his way back and Levi was nursing a beer to try and sooth the vague anxiety that was creeping in with every minute that passed. He rationalized that Eren had been getting ready and that Nix was there; Eren was safe, but it was hard to convince the protective instincts to have patience, not after everything that had happened. And his uncle would arrive any moment.

Kenny drummed his thumbs against the steering wheel of his plum violet cadillac as he waited at the light up the block from his nephew’s, idly watching the lone vehicle across the intersection. Kenny couldn’t be sure of the gender of the person behind the wheel, not that it mattered since the kid was quite the looker either way. He cocked his head, brows rising with interest as the car pulled into Levi’s driveway. Must be Eren. He’d heard all about the Omega, but he hadn’t yet met him. The light changed and he pulled in behind Eren’s car and Levi’s truck just as the Omega was getting Phoenix out of the back seat.

“Need a hand with that beast?” he greeted with a half grin as he shut his door and looked over the young man.

Eren jumped a mile into the air with a squeak, then whirled around making his high waisted floral skirt billow out. He stood with his heeled feet spread apart, fists clenched, and glaring eyes filled with fire, ready for a fight, but it only took a moment for recognition to flash in his eyes, realizing he made a mistake. Eren hadn’t noticed anyone drive up, and all he was greeted with was the voice and smell of an unfamiliar Alpha. However, no matter what Levi said, Kenny did in fact resemble his mate. You’d have to be blind to think they weren’t related. “O-Oh! Hello!” Eren finally stuttered out, relaxing his stance and blushing bright red with embarrassment, “You must be Kenny! You surprised me!”

The older Alpha tipped the worn cowboy hat that was perched on his head and his smile broadened kindly, making the laugh lines around his eyes stand out. “And you must be the Eren that has all the Ackermans raving. I didn’t mean to scare you,” he answered warmly, stepping towards the Omega to usher him to the door, “I have to tell you, you’re taller than I imagined.”

Nix jumped out of the car obediently, tongue lolling and tail wagging as Eren reached into the back to grab his bag then close the backseat door behind him. Eren’s eyes narrowed slightly at Kenny’s words before he lifted his chin and began to walk up to Levi’s front door with confidence, heels clicking loudly on the concrete. “Like your Omega’s small, Mr. Ackerman?” Eren asked in a teasing tone, smirking at the older man when he looked back over his shoulder, “it’s true not all Alphas could handle it. Your nephew is an exception…” With perfect timing the front door opened before Eren could grasp the knob. “Speak of the devil! Levi, your uncle thought I’d be shorter,” the Omega greeted the Alpha in the doorway with a wide grin, before prancing past to take off his heels and head upstairs to deposit his bag. 

“Call me Kenny and I meant it as a compliment!” The older Alpha called after Eren, good-naturedly. After all, he’d been the one to teach Levi that Alphas should appreciate Omegas; it wasn’t as if the kid’s father had been any sort of role model. He turned his attention to his nephew whose ears were turning a rather endearing shade of pink. He chuckled and clapped him on the shoulder as he stepped inside the house, closing the door behind him. “He’s definitely as feisty as I imagined though. No wonder he gets along with your mother and sister so well,” he continued as Levi rolled his eyes and lead the way to the kitchen.

“Yeah he’s something special, so don’t scare him off will you,” Levi retorted, handing off a beer to his uncle, a teasing to his tone, grinning when Kenny laughed in response.

“Speaking of, I brought something for you. Kuchel said you were pretty serious about him, not like I can’t tell myself. You don’t need to use it yet, but I thought you’d better have it if the moment strikes, “ Kenny began, patting his back pocket and pulling out a little velvet box, “It was your Grandma’s, and since you were the firstborn grandkid, it’s yours.”

Levi blinked dumbly for a moment, finally taking it without being able to properly thank his uncle as he heard Eren’s steps approaching and tucking it away in his own pocket until he could better hide it later. 

“What are you Alphas talking about?” Eren asked as he walked into the kitchen, glancing down to Levi’s pocket with narrowed eyes for a moment, having seen his mate shove something inside. 

“You mostly,” Levi answered with a boyishly lopsided smile, reaching out to give Eren’s hip an affectionate squeeze, ignoring the heat that burned in his ears as Kenny grinned knowingly across the island from him.

“It’s true. I’m glad to finally be meeting you Eren. I’ve been hearing so much about you for weeks. All good things too,” Kenny assured with a wink.

Eren glanced from Levi to Kenny and back again, knowing that he was being left out of something. But Levi’s red ears were so adorable and it wasn’t often that his Alpha acted so bashful that Eren decided to give Levi a break and let him off the hook. He leaned into the Alphas embrace and smiled warmly back at Kenny and said, “I’ve been hearing a lot about you too… You can’t be as awful as Levi described since you helped Kuchel raise such a wonderful Alpha… Computer and marketing skills aside.” 

Kenny chuckled and rubbed the back of his neck sheepishly, “Technology and I could stand to have friendlier relationship, I'll give you that. As for what Levi's told you about me, you're right not to believe him. He's just afraid he'll grow up to be just like me. He used to think I was cool, you know.”

Levi groaned and pulled away from Eren to check on dinner, complaining with faux offense, “I was just a brat, I didn't know any better.” 

Eren snickered at Levi’s embarrassment and was about to lean on the island when a sudden flash of colour caught his attention out of the corner of his eye. “I’ll be right back,” he said, before walking into the living room and looked out the front window, with a straight back and tensed muscles. Biting his lip hard for only a moment, he hurriedly pulled the curtain closed, then walked back to the kitchen, trying to shake off his anxiety with a nervous smile back at Kenny. “You must have some embarrassing stories to tell me about Levi… Kuchel has filled me in on some but you must know more!” he said with a laugh, trying to distract them from his previous behaviour. 

Kenny traded a look with Levi when Eren abruptly excused himself only to return moments later with vague hints of anxiety clinging to his scent. But neither Alpha said anything. Levi simply shifted closer to the Omega and slid a protective arm around him. He wasn’t going to press him for answers with Kenny present and even if he wasn’t the Alpha wasn’t likely to do more than make himself available if Eren wanted to talk. 

Kenny took the cue from his nephew and grinned back at Eren, leaning back and rubbing his chin dramatically in thought. “Did she tell you he went through a _goth_ phase in highschool?”

Levi groaned, “I liked black okay?”

“And eyeliner if I recall. Your mom got so mad that you kept stealing hers, she bought you your own…” Kenny chuckled, quite happily poking fun at his nephew. It was all good-natured and for the Omega’s benefit anyway.

Eren’s mouth popped open before he turned to Levi, eyes trailing up and down the Alpha’s body like he was seeing him in a new light. A light dusting of red reached the Omegas cheeks as he mumbled, “I think you’re going to have to demonstrate your eyeliner skills to me, Levi.” A flash of hunger danced in Eren’s eyes but it was gone the moment he turned back to Kenny. “We all were a lot different when we were kids…” Eren conceded with a laugh. “I tried my best to not act like an Omega so I got in a lot of fights with Alphas and wore baggy masculine clothes to hide my figure. But you look like you got up to trouble when you were young, and possibly still!” he said brightly. 

“You might be surprised. Believe it or not, Kuchel was the wild one,” Kenny replied, still grinning even as he lifted his beer to his lips. 

Levied sighed dramatically, before drawling, “You know what sweetness, you keep looking at me like that, I’ll let you put me in eyeshadow and a skirt if you want to.” He gave Eren a squeeze around the waist before he forced his attention to his uncle as Eren had, “Don’t go telling him about ma’s sordid past, you’ll give him ideas! He gets into plenty of mischief all on his own.”

“Ohhhhh, give me ideas! Give me ideas! I gotta keep this guy on his toes!” Eren said with a smirk as he pointed to Levi, but couldn’t keep straight face as he burst into laughter at Levi’s mortified expression. “Alright, alright… I’ll just ask him for the details when you aren’t around! Is dinner almost ready? Should I set the table?” 

Kenny laughed raucously while his nephew just shook his head and slipped away from his mate again. “Sure sweetness, you can set the table. I made hot wings and wedges for tonight,” he said, turning to the oven to pull the pans of food out to serve up.

Eren licked then smacked his lips in hunger before he rushed to get all the plates and utensils out to set up on the counter. “Aweee you made one of my favourite meals… Such a doting Alpha,” Eren teased bouncing up behind him with a plate to hurry Levi along so he could serve himself. 

Levi looked at Eren over his shoulder and smiled at him roguishly. “It’s too hard not to spoil you when you smile at me like that princess,” he murmured, sidestepping to allow Eren to fill his plate. It was so satisfying to see his mate excited and uninhibited about eating again. It was getting so much easier, but there had been occasions when the Omega had still been reluctant and anxious about his eating habits. He couldn’t blame him though given everything and how stressed it made the other male. He could only do his best to assure Eren and shower him with affection until the situation with Reiner blew over and they could finally bond properly. He was sure Eren would feel more secure once they did and it was seriously fucking difficult not to give in to the urge; Levi would feel more secure too.

Kenny watched the couple with interest, sipping his beer idly. It was surprisingly endearing to see Levi so invested. Kuchel hadn’t been exaggerating in the least and though his nephew had been pretty clear the last time they spoke, it was different to see it with his own eyes just how smitten he was. It had been a good idea to pass the heirloom on to Levi; he didn’t doubt it would be on Eren’s hand before too long.

***

Kenny stayed later than expected; Levi couldn’t say he was surprised how Eren had handled his uncle, but he hadn’t predicted just how charmed Kenny would be by the Omega. It was dark by the time the older Alpha had left and Eren had not been still since. He kept pacing about the house and peering outside from between the curtains every so often and he couldn’t stop running his fingers through his hair. It was even messier than usual in his obviously anxious state. The problem was, Levi didn’t know what was causing it. Eren had acted a little strangely when he’d first come back from his place, but he’d recovered pretty quickly with the two Alphas there, probably using the dinner with Kenny as a distraction from whatever was stressing him. And now…

“You’re doing it again,” Levi said as he shifted pillows and turned down blankets for bed, glancing over his bare shoulder at his mate as the Omega fidgeted at the top of the stairs, shuffling his feet and tugging at his hair unconsciously. 

Flinching, Eren let go of his hair to turn and give Levi a nervous smile. “Doing what?” he asked anyway, though he knew exactly what Levi was talking about, but that didn’t mean he wanted to explain himself. 

The Alpha raised a brow at the Omega, straightening his posture and turning to properly face him. “You haven’t been able to relax since my uncle left.What are you stressing about sweetness? Did something happen?” he inclined his head, watching Eren intently, protective concern seeping into his scent. 

“Nothing! It’s nothing… Really nothing. Nothing at all,” Eren rambled, before beginning to make his way downstairs, “I don’t remember if I locked the door! I’m gonna go check… I’ll be back quick!” 

It was stupid. It really was nothing. But when Eren had went back to his house, it felt like someone had almost been there, someone that wasn’t him or Levi. When Eren had unlocked the door and walked in, a shiver went down his spine and he couldn’t help the feeling of being watched. Things that he had remembered putting in certain places like the remote in the living room or the hamper in his bedroom had been moved. A light left on, curtains half opened, all of his garbages empty. The more Eren found, even with Nix at his side, the more anxious he became until he hurried up, grabbed as much of his shit as he could and walked out the door. 

The last thing Eren did before going back to Levi’s was walk out to check his mailbox, but the mailbox door was oddly hanging open and the inside was completely empty. Growling in frustration, Eren had slammed the box closed and stomped back to his car, completely on edge. 

The whole day, Eren’s mind was running in circles trying to convince himself that everything he saw was a coincidence, and everything he felt was him just being paranoid. His gut instincts weren’t always correct, but damn did they grate on his nerves when Eren couldn’t silence them. So here he was, at Levi’s front door, checking the lock for the millionth time as he looked out the window and peered at the yellow lit street. There was nothing to see, no one was there. Reiner was gone and there was nothing he could do to him anymore. Now all Eren had to do was calm down and put this paranoia behind him. He had caused enough trouble for Levi in the last few weeks, Eren wasn’t going to be adding a whole other layer of ridiculousness. 

“All locked up!” Eren announced with a smile, willing himself to relax just a bit so that Levi would stop looking so worried. He crawled into bed beside his Alpha and emitted a soothing scent, nestling himself right up against Levi’s side and beginning to purr. Eren couldn’t help but feel invincible when he was right by Levi’s side. 

“That’s the same thing you said the last time you checked,” Levi murmured into Eren’s hair as he wrapped an arm around him comfortably, accommodating the Omega familiarly. “Eren, I love you, but you are a terrible liar. Don’t get angry. You don’t have to tell me what’s got you so nervous, but I’m here if you need to, okay?” He said, pressing his lips to the crown and petting the soft strands at the back of Eren’s head and nape, lingering there soothingly.

“I am a wonderful liar! And I’m not lying! Everything is fine. Shooooooshhhhhhh,” Eren said, nuzzling into Levi’s neck for a mark, before he sighed, tension finally leaking out of his body. “It’s just been a long couple weeks… I’m tired…” he added quietly, rolling over onto his side but dragging Levi’s arm with him so that the Omega was now being spooned. 

The Alpha hummed in agreement, sidling right up behind the Omega to press himself along the length of him as Eren tucked his arm in around his middle. He pressed his mouth the back of Eren’s neck adoringly and gave him a squeeze. “Sleep then sweetness, I got you,” he breathed, holding his mate protectively. Though he didn’t know exactly what had spiked the anxiety in the Omega, it didn’t really matter; all he could do was be there.

***

The next morning, Levi was woken up not by the usual alarm he set for himself, but by the telltale siren of an incoming call on his cell. He cursed under his breath and carefully extracted himself from his mate’s cuddly grip and with eyes still closed, he groggily searched for his phone with one hand. It was too fucking early…

He fumbled with it a bit, brows furrowing as the name of the caller flashed on the screen, gaze still sleepy as he answered. He whispered his greeting harshly as he watched Eren stir and then settle again once the sound was cut off, “Do you _know_ what time it is?”

The line was quiet for a moment before the caller finally spoke up, “You still owe me, Levi. Don’t think I’ve forgotten. It’s time to honour your word.”


	32. Aerrating

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> [Travelin' Soldier by Dixie Chicks](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AbfgxznPmZM)

_You can do this_ the lipstick smeared across the mirror told her. 

Taking a deep breath then letting it out, Krista repeated the mantra out loud for what was probably the millionth time. “You can do this, you can do this, _you can do this_ ,” she told herself a couple more times, hoping that at some point she would believe it. Krista wanted to believe. She had to believe; there was no other way. 

Every single beauty product she owned was scattered across her vanity in a catastrophe of open bottles and spilled liquid. Most were completely unknown to her. Krista’s memories had been jumbled since she’d read the letter that said her soldier was coming home. She was too panicked to recall what she did after in a haze of desperation. Just flashes of several beauty stores she knew Eren frequented and being slathered in makeup, oils, creams, clothes, and underwear. They promised to make her look younger, to make her eyes pop, to make her small breasts appear bigger. And yet here she sat, looking worse for wear than she had ever seen herself.

Krista had done her makeup eight times this morning, trying to make herself into something she wasn’t; confident, sexy, _happy_. Dark red lips, bold eyes, rosy cheeks, she tried everything, but it all looked horrible. It looked fake. It didn’t look like her. Everyone always told her she had a natural beauty, and would often get in trouble when she tried to change too much. _Don’t cut your hair, don’t hide your face, stand up straight, cover up, don’t be a slut Historia,_ her mother would say when she’d had just one too many glasses of wine in the early weekday mornings. There was only ever one person that didn’t give a flying fuck what she looked like and that person was Ymir; her Alpha. 

The name sent a shudder down her spine, but before Krista could allow herself to spiral, her manicured nails dug deeply into the top of her thighs. She didn’t have time for this. Levi and Eren would be here soon to pick her up and she didn’t even know what she was going to wear. 

Krista took a deep shuddering breath and blinked away the tears. “You can do this,” she said to herself again, bloodshot blue eyes glowing back at her in the mirror before she reached down to dig through the pile to find her regular makeup. There was no time, so Krista would put on what she normally did which was very little. She hoped it looked okay, but then again, there was a reason Ymir had left her behind.

~~~

Bursting through the flower shop door wearing a navy romper with gold pumps and dangling gold earrings, Eren ignored the sign that said closed. They were very late and Krista wasn’t answering her phone, so Eren opted to go retrieve her while Levi waited in the truck. He told Eren that Krista needed help picking up a friend from the airport and the Omega was eager to assist. Frankly, Eren owed her quite a bit, and she had been a constant source of support for him and Levi since they’d gotten back together, though at a distance. Krista was intuitive enough to know that the couple needed time to bond. She was usually so calm and understanding that it worried Eren when Levi told him Krista had sounded stressed out.

“Krista?” he called up the stairs to the apartment above the shop. But there was no answer. Anxiety swept through Eren and he took the stairs two at a time to reach the cozy little living space Krista called her own. Eren had stopped by a few times to chat with the other Omega, and he remembered it being clean, soft and cozy, covered in pastel pinks and floral decor. He always thought it matched Krista perfectly, the angel that she was. Eren wasn’t expecting piles upon piles of clothing littering every square inch of the space from the kitchen, to the living room, to the little alcove where Krista often sat and drank tea in the window. “Krista!” Eren cried, completely freaked out now.

“In here,” a weak voice floated from the bedroom down the hall reply. Eren stomped his way through the mountains of clothes and shoved the door open to see Krista, sitting flat on her ass in only a bra and panties. She looked up at him, eyes filled with tears and she suddenly cried, “I have nothing to wear!” leaving Eren completely flabbergasted. 

He’d never seen Krista like this, she’d always seemed so put together and optimistic. Maybe Eren was rubbing off on her too much and he was starting to wonder how Levi ever managed to deal with him. He pinched the bridge of his nose and took a deep breath to keep himself from joining her in freaking out; this was child's play in comparison to what he’d been imagining. Reiner was a constant worry at the back of his mind, and he wouldn’t put it past the Alpha to threaten or attack his friends to get to him from a distance, especially now that he’d been suspended. 

“Alright buttercup, listen up!” Eren said, placing his hands on his hips and smiling down widely at the distressed Omega, “Let mamma Eren take care of you! You’re going to look fabulous!”

Eren worked fast, grabbing clothes, shoes, and various accessories from the piles and moving Krista like a manican, dressing and undressing her until he found what he thought was the cutest outfit of them all. Krista ended up in a flowered sundress; sleeveless, high necked and tied at the waist to accentuate her subtle curves. Eren even managed to touch up her makeup, giving her face a healthier shine with a highlighter and glow with lip liner and gloss. Finally, he pinned up her hair into a half-up, half-down cascade of blonde wavy curls, petting her as he styled to soothe her nerves. He had only just finished and took a step back to admire his work when he heard Levi’s voice in the living room. 

“We’re in here,” Eren called, waiting for Levi to enter the room, “Doesn’t she look positively fabulous! You’re mating a goddamn miracle worker!” Krista kept her eyes on the ground, giving Levi and Eren a pained smile. She didn’t feel fabulous. 

The Alpha was quiet for a long moment as he took in the scene the two Omegas made. Krista hadn’t given him any particularly telling details about this “friend” she’d insisted he and Eren both accompany her to pick up. She could have borrowed his truck if it was just a matter of transportation but seeing and smelling the state of her, he could guess just whom it might be and why she’d called in her favour so adamantly. He’d seen that look, smelled that scent before on his own mate and knew what it meant. Levi’s own scent reacted, soothingly threading into the space to assist Eren in calming the desperately frazzled young woman’s nerves and he smiled gently at them in that way he did, fond, assuring. “Pretty as ever. Your Alpha would have to be a blind idiot not to fall all over herself soon as she sees you Honeybee,” he finally spoke knowingly, picking his way closer to stand by his own mate, sliding an arm around Eren’s waist, “That’s what this is all about isn’t it? She’s finally coming back home isn’t she?”

Eren’s eyes widened. “Her Alpha?” he asked, looking from Krista to Levi and back again. Levi had made vague references to the mysterious Alpha in question, but Krista avoided the topic completely, dodging every attempt Eren made to inquire. It seemed painful for her, so he’d stopped trying. He’d never seen her so out of sorts before, and it was tugging on Eren’s heart strings smelling the pain and fear in her vanilla scent. 

Rubbing her arm anxiously, Krista tilted her head to the side, but kept her eyes on the ground. “Ymir _is_ an idiot,” she said blandly, “She left me behind… And now she’s coming back…” 

“Krista…” Eren started, about to reach for the other Omega, but it seemed Levi’s scent was enough to spur the girl into action so she dodged him completely. 

Holding her head high, Krista made her way towards the door. “Let’s get this over with… If she had anyone else to meet her, I wouldn’t be doing this,” Krista prompted as she picked up her purse and keys. It was quite obvious that those words were a lie; she would do anything for Ymir. 

Levi shook his head, glancing sidelong at Eren, “She’s as bad a liar as you are sweetness; she deserves her happy ending too. Her Alpha better not break her heart again,” he said as he leaned into his mate, pressing an affectionate kiss to Eren’s shoulder as they followed after the other Omega when she made her way outside. He hadn’t exactly been expecting to be repaying Krista in this way, but he shouldn’t be surprised she’d want him and Eren to come with her for support; probably for proof too, in case she needed it.

“Well I’m sure it’ll all turn out for the best,” Eren answered, hopping into the back of the truck with Krista, not wanting to leave her alone. He immediately grabbed her hand without word, not caring if she would protest. But surprisingly, Krista didn’t, gripping Eren’s hand like her life depended on it as they both looked out the windows. It was a chilly ride filled with the smell of one anxious Omega and the other seriously concerned. The only thing that seemed to seep between their scents was Levi’s as he let his Alpha scent out strong from the front, surrounding them and covering them in a deep blanket of warmth. It helped all the way through parking at the airport and finding the right gate until they were met with a large crowd buzzing with anticipation. 

Krista’s steps slowed down until she stopped completely, her scent off the charts with distress. “This was a mistake… we should… we should just go,” she said, wide eyes darting between her two companions filled with panic. “She can just take a cab back,” she spit out, beginning to back away, seemingly unable to move with coordination limbs locking up and breath heaving like she was on the verge of a break down. 

“Shh… breathe,” Eren said, stepping in front of her to immediately lift a hand and rub his wrist over her neck, scent marking her to try and calm her down, “You can do this Krista! You can!”

“I can?” she asked wide and fearful as she looked into Eren’s eyes. 

“You can,” Eren said with a serious nod then turned to Levi, “Right?”

“Right,” Levi agreed, glancing between his mate and the shorter blonde Omega and elaborating assuredly as people began exiting the plane terminals, “You already helped convince one stubborn Alpha to change his mind about bonding. If she’s not convinced to do the same just seeing you, she not worth a second chance buttercup.”

~~~

_Home_... Ymir thought as she finally stepped off the plane. It seemed like it’d been so long since she could say that. It’d only been four years, albeit long, arduous and tumultuous years in which she’d thought she might die more than a couple times. But then she thought about the little blonde Omega she’d left behind heartbroken, and she worked harder to survive. Ymir didn’t regret her decision, stood firm even though it had been maybe the hardest thing she’d ever done. It hurt to miss Krista like she did but she’d done it to protect the Omega, even if Krista hadn’t understood.

If they’d have bonded before she went overseas, and she hadn’t made it, Krista would have been devastated and worse still if she had a baby on her hip. Ymir couldn’t, she just couldn’t, not after she’d seen her father struggle without her mother, even years after he’d lost her. She knew; she’d always known the only reason he’d carried on was for her, raising her had been what drove him to live on without his mate and Ymir had promised herself she’d never cause her mate such grief if she could help it. 

Probably from the first time she’d seen the little Omega girl with the wild blonde hair in her blue sundress and ladybug rainboots saving snails from the sun upon her first day in kindergarten, she’d known Krista was it for her. She’d stuck to her from then on. Through the years, they’d grown together, it seemed only natural when they’d become more than friends once the attraction had become something more than innocent childhood romance. Even when Ymir went off to military school and Krista had tried, but failed to follow her there. So even though she’d known then that Krista was the Omega she would spend her life with, it had always been in the cards that she would follow in her father’s footsteps, decorated in the service, someone to be proud of, someone that deserved and could give Krista everything she’d ever dreamed of when she came home, _if_ she came home. It was the if that had grounded her, kept her head when she’d been tempted, even through Krista’s tears, ultimatums and the bitter space that the absence had left.

They’d made no promises when they’d said their goodbyes, but she had been surprised when she’d never received the expected flood of letters from the other woman, especially when she’d sent her own. But Krista probably wanted to hear nothing she had to say then; it all sounded like heartbreak. 

Somehow four years went by, tour after tour and her father had gotten sick and it’d been time to come home. Though Ymir should’ve probably went to see him first, she couldn’t imagine not seeing the face that had haunted her dreams and resided on the now faded and worn photograph she’d kept tucked inside her fatigues to remember. To remind her what she’d left behind, why she had to keep fighting and survive. So she sent a final letter, half sure she’d receive silence in response and half-hoping she wouldn’t. And miracle of miracles, Krista’d said she would see her, would pick her up from the airport even and she’d been caught between anxiety and elation since. 

She was in her fatigues, decorated with patches and metals, with more scars than she’d had the last time she’d been there and grateful that people moved aside for her upon seeing the uniform as she swiftly maneuvered through the crowd, her duffel slung over one shoulder familiarly and gaze searching. She smelled her before she saw her, but it wasn’t quite as she remembered. There was something citrusy and tropical about it that had never before coloured the soft warmth of the honeyed vanilla she so craved. Immediately her own reacted, the spice of cloves spiking defensively and overtaking the subtler undertones of sandalwood as her eyes narrowed with instinctive suspicion. 

She’d promised herself that if Krista had found someone to fill her place while she’d been away fighting fires she hadn’t started, someone that made her glow the way she was meant to, then she would step aside. It would be too selfish to believe Krista would wait for her even if she had hoped the Omega would and yet as she spotted the unmistakably angelic young woman she’d been pining for, she could not have prepared herself for the sight of not one but two males flanking her too intimately to brush aside her possessive jealousy. Had Krista settled for being a second to some greedy Alpha? She wasn’t ever meant to be a spare.

Her lips drew thin, unimpressed and aggressive as her scent came to be the closer she came to the trio. Ymir could smell the fresh scent markings on _her_ Omega’s skin, and just because she couldn't see it didn’t mean there wasn’t a bonding mark to match somewhere. “You didn’t say you’d be bringing company Sunshine,” she greeted, a bite in her tone as she came within feet of them, eyeing the two males indiscreetly. In silence, she was praying she was wrong, that Krista would soon set the matter straight because she didn’t know what she might do if she wasn’t misunderstanding what this looked like.

Looking up in surprise, Krista stood frozen as a familiar smell and face overwhelmed her senses. Krista had been too busy focusing on Eren and Levi and not panicking that she didn’t see her Alpha walk up. Ymir, more handsome than ever with a scent that called out to her very soul, was actually standing right in front of her. Real, solid; Ymir wasn’t just some apparition that took up all of Krista’s dreams and fantasies.

Her first instinct was to fall into her Alpha’s arms and never let go. Her next was to turn and sprint away because it was too hard; it hurt too much. What if Ymir didn’t want her anymore? What if all these years apart had changed everything? Krista wasn’t the same, didn’t have the youthful optimism that Ymir had loved her for. 

What solidified her decision on flight was the old pet name that felt like a stab wound to the heart. Krista wasn’t ‘Sunshine’ anymore and might never be again. She was a shadow of the self Ymir left behind; just a little sad rain cloud, floating alone in the sky. 

All coherent thought ended in that moment, forcing Krista to reach for the thing closest to her, which turned out to be Levi. 

“Hello Ymir,” Krista answered too loudly, smile so wide, it was painful, winding her body around Levi’s arm and squeezing in a near death grip. “I um-I… You… This is the childhood friend I was telling you about Levi, And Ymir, this is my Alpha!” she forced the words out, voice rising higher and higher until she was squeaking at the end. Her eyes widened in shock when she realized what exactly she had said. What had she done?

Eren was busy looking the female Alpha up and down and puzzling over her agitation. His eyes snapped up the moment Krista's body wrapped around Levi’s arm and those words managed to come out of her mouth. _Her Alpha?_ the words screeched in his mind as he whirled around on Levi, death in his eyes and in his scent. Levi was already turned to him, face filled with panic as his head began to shake in refusal. 

Levi looked like he wanted to bolt, but he was dumbstruck, unable to move or tear his gaze from his absolutely murderous mate. If looks could kill, he’d be a dead man twice over. He didn’t even get the chance to do more than try to jerk out of Krista’s grip, belatedly and still staring at Eren imploringly; he couldn’t have seen it coming. Though it felt like he’d been locking eyes with his Omega for eternities, it was seconds in which it all went down. After the initial shocked delay following Krista’s sudden proclamation, while Levi was focused wholly on the brunette that was as of yet _silently_ fuming, Ymir, seeing the reactions of both males and assuming the worst, suckerpunched him right in the jaw. 

“Fuck!” he cursed, successfully dislodged from Krista and stumbling back a step or two, holding his mouth, scent flaring with angry confusion. This was not the favour he’d signed on for, that was for fucking sure. “What the fuck?”

Ymir only paused a moment, cracking her knuckles and shaking out her hand before she stalked towards him with a glare that could rival Eren’s, growling dangerously about, “Cheating bastards,” amongst other choice words and colourfully creative threats against his manhood. And Eren was… coming their way... _Shit…_

Eren watched as Levi was punched in the face and suddenly he was calm, like he was plunged underwater and all his rage at Levi was extinguished only to be focused on Ymir. Krista was standing beside him spluttering at the turn of events, but stopped talking when she saw the look on Eren’s face. Eren continued to track the two Alphas with his eyes as he took off his earrings, kicked off his heels and flung his purse on the airport floor. No one fucked with his mate but him. If anyone was going to murder Levi, it was Eren. 

With two wide leaps, he flung himself on Ymir's back in a tackle and began pulling her short hair. “You fucking cunt,” he screeched, trying to twist his body to use his weight against her and bring the asshole Alpha down. 

Ymir hissed and snarled, fingers groping at the Omega on her back trying to throw him off as he yanked at her hair, staggering; he was not a fucking small Omega and though he probably didn’t outweigh her, he was still a fierce force to be reckoned with. She was pretty sure he was trying to scalp her with just his fingernails.

Levi watched with a strange sort fascinated pride and apprehension as Ymir struggled against Eren’s attack. He shouldn’t be surprised; he’d witnessed Eren get hostile with Alphas before but never quite so aggressively, even if he did know that Eren and Jean had come to blows on more than one occasion. There were so many scents around them now, mixing into a frenzy, drawing the attention of the people around them and adding to the already tense air and with sudden clarity, he remembered they were in the fucking airport. They’d get arrested!

He abruptly lunged forward to pull Eren away, avoiding Ymir’s swipes with some difficulty, gritting his teeth as his jaw throbbed dully and casting a demanding look Krista’s way, “Do something!” And she’d _better_ get ahold of her _actual_ Alpha before things got out of hand. 

Letting go of Ymir’s hair, Eren wrapped both arms around her neck in a choke hold and wound his legs around her waist tightly as he started to drag the Alpha to the ground. “You hurt my mate, I’m going to hurt _you_ ,” he hissed in her ear, ignoring Levi’s attempt to wrestle him off Ymir’s back. He was too busy trying not to let Ymir break the hold, which he was finding to be very difficult. It made sense though with Ymir being in the army and an Alpha. Eren had the element of surprise and managed to secure himself early on in this grapple though he knew Ymir would have taken him out in a second if they were fighting fair. 

Krista danced around trying to find her voice wondering if she should grab hold and pull like Levi was doing but in the end, she managed to yell, “Alpha stop! Don’t hurt him!” She was obviously more scared for Eren than she was for Ymir even though Eren had the upper hand. She knew the extent of the female Alpha’s strength and her training and could already tell she was holding back from hurting the Omega. But Ymir was never known for her patience and she could tell it was waning fast. 

Krista’s blue eyes were filling with tears, her makeup starting to run, and there was a crowd forming now. Why did she say that? Why couldn’t she just suck it the fuck up and gather her ovaries to face Ymir? Everything was so fucked up now. “I’m sorry! I’m sorry, please stop,” she started to beg. 

The response to the tone was immediate; Ymir stilled and so did Levi for just a second. Ymir stood down, though she managed to remain on her feet as Levi dragged Eren off of her spitting, hissing and scratching, determined to defend his Alpha. It might have been amusing, probably would be a funny story in the future, but was much less funny as the blare of a code over the airport PA was heard.

“Eren, stop, it’s enough,” Levi said as he tried to keep ahold of his still raging mate, locking his arms around Eren’s middle, “You gotta calm down sweetness or we’re gonna get arrested.” And when the opportunity presented itself, he licked a rough stripe along Eren’s sensitive nape to hopefully soothe him faster. He didn’t even know what the hell had just happened. 

Ymir looked at the two males for a long moment, her brow furrowing, confusion misting in her eyes. She didn’t understand any more than Levi did and looked to Krista for answers. “What the hell is going on here Krista?” 

Krista just kept on shaking her head, tears spilling down her cheeks as she bit her trembling lip hard and began picking up Eren’s scattered things. So Eren spoke for her.

“He’s my Alpha,” Eren spit, taking one last swipe at Ymir before Levi hauled him back again. “Not Krista’s, _mine_!” he added, beginning to curl around Levi instead of fight, allowing the Alpha to comfort him as his seething aggression turned into sulking. “She _should_ get arrested, hitting you with a cheap shot. How dare she touch you!” Eren growled into Levi’s neck setting his teeth to the skin. He turned to shoot Ymir one last glare before he ducked down again to begin aggressively scent marking Levi, rubbing his neck all over his face, neck, and chest to ward off the Omega he’d _thought_ was his friend. 

“Shh, it’s not her fault love. I’d’ve acted the same if it were you. I seem to remember a time I did,” Levi hushed Eren, holding him close, bearing his throat without hesitation to further soothe the Omega’s possessive ire.

He glanced sidelong at the female Alpha and then a sniffling Krista and sighed inwardly. Christ, what a mess… “Let’s get out of here before we get arrested.”

Ymir cocked her head, watching the other Alpha and Omega, connecting the dots. She gave a curt nod and reached for her bag before offering a hand to Krista while Levi turned with Eren, barefoot and still tucked against him, to lead the way out, glad that the crowd parted for them without much fuss. 

“Come on Sunshine, you have some explaining to do,” the freckled female Alpha prompted when Krista hesitated, hugging Eren’s things to her chest as if she couldn’t make up her mind, the anxiety rolling off her so potent that Ymir was having a hard time not just picking her up and taking her away on her own. The only thing that stayed her resolve was the fact that Krista had lied to her and though she had her suspicions, she wasn’t sure exactly why.

Krista nodded her head weakly and lifted a trembling hand to take Ymir’s and was led from the airport, head bowed in shame to hide from the onlookers. When they finally reached the exit, the fresh air seemed to loosen her tongue. “I panicked… Levi’s not really my Alpha, though we dated platonically for a while when he and Eren were broken up… They… They are my friends,” she said as she walked beside Ymir, watching as Levi carried Eren princess style through the parking lot so he wouldn’t have to walk barefoot outside. “They were here to support me… So I could face you after all this time,” she continued, feeling worse and worse at the whole incident. 

“Friends huh… S’that why you smelled more like them than yourself? What did you think was going to happen? Was that some kinda test just to see if I'd still get jealous or something? You could have just told me the truth Krista. Why were you so scared to see me? I…” whatever else Ymir was going to say was cut off as Levi's truck gave a beep signalling the other couple had made it to the vehicle and she shook her head, leading Krista along by the hand still firm in her own, “Nevermind, we can talk later, just us?”

Krista immediately stopped in her tracks, digging in her heels when Ymir tried to keep pulling. “I didn’t fucking plan it. I just reached for the first solid person near me, it could have been Eren if he was closer. They were blasting me with their scent so I didn’t have a break down in the damn airport and they are the only reason I managed to show up,” she hissed at the stupid stubborn Alpha, “I was scared things had changed and I didn’t want to get my hopes up… Obviously they have if you think I’d do that.” She then ripped her hand out of Ymir’s but stayed, standing there angry instead of upset, waiting for a reply. 

“It’s been four fucking years Krista, and it feels like ten, how the hell should I know what you might do, especially when you blurt shit out like that. Things have changed, _I’ve_ changed, but how I feel about you, that’s been the same since I was five years old. This is stupid. Let’s not do this here; I doubt your friends want to wait any longer than they have to, considering,” the female Alpha replied, voice low, but raw with desperation and wanting and she could still feel the crawling of possessive aggression under her skin, could smell it on herself as surely as everyone in their general vicinity could. And despite the fact things were currently less than favourable, she wanted to pull the smaller woman into her arms and just hold her awhile. They didn’t even have to talk, even though they had apologies, questions and explanations that needed to be voiced between them; she just wanted to remember what _home_ felt like. 

“Four fucking years, more like an eternity,” Krista spit, baring her teeth at the woman, “You left me behind, Ymir. Don’t act like the separation was _my_ fault. You _chose_ this! You chose to abandon me!” Krista took a few steps forward to get up in Ymir’s space, though she had to tilt her head upwards to glare into the Alpha’s eyes, completely unconcerned by the men that waited for them at the truck. Years upon years of resentment were bubbling out of her and she couldn’t hold it in any longer. 

“Any change in me is from you breaking my fucking heart, Ymir,” Krista tried to say sternly, but her voice cracked at the end and she shuddered, trying to hold it all together. Her eyes closed for a moment but when she opened them, there was fire and challenge in the depths of the crystal blue. “Accept responsibility, soldier!” she yelled in Ymir’s face, leaning closer towards the Alpha, wondering if she would be a coward and run once again. 

“I know that! I won’t apologize for leaving you here. I could have died Krista, almost did a coupla times; do you know what that would have done to you if we’d bonded like you wanted? I won’t be sorry for sparing you that, but I am sorry about making you wait so fucking long and for making you cry. I fucking hate when you cry,” Ymir said, running a hand through her short hair jerkily, watching the Omega through her lashes, able to see the other couple quietly talking to one another outside the driver’s side of the truck as the Omega inspected where she’d hit his Alpha out of her periferal. 

“Look, I’m home now, and I’m staying this time, I swear. I’ll take responsibility; I’ll do whatever you want to make it up to you Sunshine, just not here in the fucking airport parking lot, okay? Please Krista,” she finished pleadingly.

“You shouldn’t have left! You didn’t have to go,” Krista yelled, stomping a heeled foot in emphasis and frustration. Without warning she flung herself at Ymir, wrapping her own arms around the Alpha’s neck as her feet dangled in the air. “I missed you so much, you _idiot_! You’re so stupid Ymir! So fucking stupid,” she sobbed into Ymir’s neck, rubbing her wet face all over the Alpha’s scent gland. 

Ymir managed to catch the Omega as Krista launched herself at her, stumbling back a step, but too happy to have her in her arms to complain. “I know. It’s all that Alpha testosterone, makes us all complete dumbasses,” she murmured, wrapping her arms tighter around the petite blonde, and burying her nose in her hair, “I missed you too. Only thing that kept me breathing over there; I couldn’t die without seeing you again.” 

“I don’t wanna hear about you getting yourself killed ‘cause you’re an idiot,” Krista grumbled then sniffled before she turned her head to rub her scent gland over Ymir’s. Their scents immediately intermingled, and Krista sighed softly as her body melted into Ymir’s. It had been so long, and it felt so good, it was enough to make her pale skin flush as a little whine escaped her. Her Alpha was home. 

“Yeah yeah, I get it. You were right Sunshine. You’re always right,” Ymir hummed fondly into Krista’s hair, eyes closed as she soaked in the feel of her for a long minute, finally unaware and unconcerned with their audience. After all this time, she was home, where she was meant to be.


	33. Seasonal Repairs

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hello, hello :) here's another update! We've decided to do updates every two weeks with this fic so that we aren't stressed or scrambling and then the chapters are more constant.
> 
> Saturday we will be updating Luck of the Irish and Sunday will have a brand new chapter of Spectrum!

Eren was leaning against Levi, watching the show. “I thought she was gonna punch the idiot… Too bad. I still feel like hurting her though. I’m not sure I got a good enough hit on the cunt,” Eren mused, looking back at Levi with a pout. 

The Alpha shook his head, squeezing Eren around the middle. “Cut her some slack sweetness. She probably couldn’t control herself, especially when her mate panicked like that. Love makes us all do stupid things, like attacking potentially dangerous Alphas in the airport,” he scolded, though his tone was fond and his gaze was bright with affection and pride. He pressed a kiss to Eren’s shoulder and hummed, “You know though right? I’m not anyone else’s Alpha but yours. I didn’t know Krista was going to say something like that. I don’t think _she_ knew she was going to say it to be honest. It definitely wasn’t part of the plan. Maybe you should have a chat with her, Omega to Omega.”

Eren huffed then blew up his cheeks in annoyance. Letting it all out, he pouted at Levi. “It wasn’t a pleasant feeling to be reminded you technically _were_ her Alpha at one point,” Eren grumbled, then nuzzled into Levi’s neck once again. “I believe you; you aren’t the cheating type and the look on your face was enough to silence any doubt,” he assured the Alpha with an affectionate kiss, “As for Krista… She was freaking out so badly I don’t think she knew what she was saying either until after she said it. I still want an apology, but I pretty much already forgive her… She’s obviously very hung up on that Alpha, though I have _no_ idea why.” 

Levi chuckled, “Probably the same reasons you're hung up on yours,” he answered with a cheeky wink and a grin, though it turned to a mild wince seconds after, and he reached up with his unoccupied hand to rub the aching and vaguely swollen side of his face, “Maybe it's that left hook of hers…” He looked back towards the other couple; they were finally making their way over, still tightly pressed together. He slanted his gaze back at Eren, “You don't think they'll bond right in my backseat do you?”

Eren cringed in disgust at Levi and turned to them as the two woman walked up. Immediately, his nose wrinkled at the smell coming off of them. “You do realize you're putting her into heat right?” Eren said without greeting to Ymir, “Oh and you owe me a manicure. You made me break a nail!” For emphasis, he held up his hand to show the cracked gel. 

Krista wasn’t helping her case in the least, looking up at Ymir with a red face and dilated pupils, almost high on the Alpha’s pheromones she was now covered in. She’d never reacted to Levi in such a way, even the few times he had marked her. 

Ymir rolled her eyes, a low rumble starting in her chest, a little sore (and in denial that she was impressed) that she was nearly bested by the vicious brunette. He wasn't so tall. Krista pinched her side and the sound cut off abruptly; she pulled a face but gave a vague nod and a grunt of acknowledgement.

Levi managed to control his own growl and narrowed his eyes warningly at the other Alpha. Even if it had been a misunderstanding and he could relate, she and Krista were responsible for what had happened and he didn't appreciate her attitude in the least. “I think it's time we get the two of you home so I can take Eren home and ice my face…” he paused a moment, nostrils flaring as the almost sickly sweet spicy scent of the other couple stung his nose. “Though it's going to be awkward as hell, I think it would be best if the two of you sat separately. Eren can sit with Krista in the back. You okay with that sweetness?” he finished, looking to his mate and rubbing his hand up and down his side, marking him heavily. He wasn't exactly fond of the idea of separating from Eren, but concerned about Ymir’s presence driving Krista into heat before they had the chance to drop them off and a bit concerned that it might drive his own Omega into a heat especially since he knew Eren had not had one since the last. There was no telling if or when it would be sparked; hormones and instincts were erratic like that.

Krista looked like she was going to protest, but before she could Eren interrupted her, “I can smell it Krista, you are going into heat. And me and Levi aren’t gonna be trapped in the truck while you guys go at it. I can already tell it’s going to be an intense one.” He wrinkled his nose again then began the arduous process of removing himself from Levi’s arms, rubbing his face in Levi’s neck to try and drown out the scents. The drive back was going to be disgusting. 

A little whine of frustration escaped Krista but she nodded, knowing Eren was right. Just looking back at Ymir had her kneading and purring, gripping Ymir’s fatigues and pulling because she couldn’t help herself. Krista didn’t know the last time she had preheat so bad, not since she’d had her first, which she had spent with Ymir anyway.

“Mark me good Alpha,” she purred, a coy half smile on her face as she stepped up on her tiptoes and tilted her head to the side to bare her neck to Ymir. Even though she was already marked, her instincts needed more if they were going to be separated any distance. 

Ymir did not have to be told twice. She picked the smaller woman right off her feet as she pulled her in tight against herself and vigorously began to mark her. A rumbling purr kicked up in her chest, unconsciously voicing her pleasure as she buried her face against Krista’s throat, mumbling praise and affection against her skin and revelled in the familiar-sweet allure of her mate’s preheat scent. And her own was spicy protective possession and devoted desire; god, how she’d missed her.

Levi furrowed his brow, nose wrinkling right along with Eren’s as the scent of the other couple ignited around their general vicinity; it was fucking _strong_ , made his eyes water a little. It was nothing like Eren’s had been and he was relieved. He had zero attraction even though arousal was common for unmated Alphas around Omegas in heat and preheat. The only hard on Levi had was for Eren, especially when the Omega’s thigh was ever so conveniently pressed between his legs as his mate lingered in his embrace. “We can’t be that gross when we get at it,” he commented, voice low and vaguely teasing in Eren’s ear, trying not to watch the intimate scene between the two females. He was happy for them, but he _really_ didn’t want to watch them consummate their love right there on the asphalt. 

Eren nodded his head in agreement, lifting a hand to plug his nose. “We are polite in public,” he agreed nasally, beginning to get an itch under his skin that made him burrow closer to Levi. Even if they smelled horrible, an Omega in heat could throw him into heat which had him panicking. At least he’d brought the suppressants, what would a couple more pills on top of the already high dose he’d taken possibly do. Eren wasn’t ready to go into heat, let alone try the process again. The ugly doubts were still in the back of his mind. Maybe after they bonded, but that wouldn’t be for a long time. Well, at least, Levi hadn’t brought it up again. 

“You guys are ten times worse than we'll ever be!” Krista accused, hearing them after Ymir had finished her mark, “Like the worst of the worst! Hell, you were broken up and I thought you were gonna have sex while I waited in the living room when you were on a date with _me_ , Levi, so you can’t even talk!” Her tone was full of amusement though; she hadn’t been angry about it then and she wasn’t now, but she could and would use it to tease the other couple since they were so bent on teasing her. 

Eren looked up and cocked his head to the right. “Wait what?” he asked, not remembering any such event. 

“Ask your Alpha. Keeping secrets are we Levi?” she said, giving him a Cheshire grin before she turned to kiss and nuzzle Ymir a couple more times then tossed Eren’s abandoned things in the air for the Omega to catch. Finally, she opened the door to the backseat of the truck and hopped in. 

After snatching his purse and shoes out of the air, Eren lifted an eyebrow at Levi, giving the Alpha a look that said they’d talk about it later. He then gathered his items, pulling a water bottle and a packet of pills out of his purse before he followed Krista into the back. 

A rolling growl rumbled through Levi’s chest as he narrowed his gaze at Krista, not at all happy that she had insinuated he was keeping secrets from his Omega. It wasn’t that he wanted to keep what had happened when Eren had been drunk hidden, just, Eren didn’t remember it and Levi hadn’t wanted him to be embarrassed. He’d been so drunk and Levi hadn’t done anything wrong. He would no doubt have to tell him now though, if the look his mate gave him was any indication. He got that it was a distraction, but damn it...

He heaved a sigh and shook his head as he moved to get into the driver’s seat, adjusting the rearview mirror so he could keep an eye on the Omegas in the back. Ymir slipped into the passenger seat a moment later and he could feel her aggressive stare, obviously still wary of both he and Eren, probably even more so now that her mate was entering a particularly vulnerable period. And her scent relentlessly clashed with his own, vying for dominance, though Levi’s wasn’t overtly hostile. Needless to say, the half-hour drive back back to Krista’s place was a long, tense and heavily awkward one. He and Ymir were both stonily silent, but he could hear Eren’s quiet tones as he talked to Krista in the backseat, listening, but not.

As soon they made it back to Krista’s, both females immediately jumped out of the truck, tripping over their feet to get to the door as Krista fumbled with the flower shop keys. Eren hopped out too, snickering as they tried to get inside. “Use protection!” Eren called, “And if you hurt her again I’ll be coming for you asshole!” He outright laughed when Ymir turned around and gave him a death glare, but Eren just blew her a kiss and gave her the finger in return before he jumped into the front seat. He immediately scooted across the seat to tackle Levi in the driver’s seat, setting his teeth to Levi’s neck. 

“Home, now,” Eren growled, the scent of Krista’s heat getting to him. He hoped to god those pills kicked in soon because his skin was starting to feel hot and clammy. 

“You got it sweetness,” Levi replied breathily, hitching when Eren’s teeth worried at his skin intently. He wrapped one arm around his mate as he drove with the other, managing to get them home safely, only speeding a little. There was a bittersweetness in Eren’s scent, both alluring and oddly warning though Levi couldn’t quite put his finger on what for. It didn’t quite smell like Eren’s heat had so he wasn’t exactly sure. “Are you alright?”

“Don’t know,” Eren answered, continuously rubbing his face back and forth over Levi’s scent gland as he tried to soothe his instincts. “Never taken that many suppressants before…” he admitted though he was now panting and sweating. “But it still feels like the warmth is building… I think if we soothe my instincts we can stop it… I just need your knot Alpha please,” he hissed, crawling into Levi’s lap as the slick started to run down the back of his thighs, “If it doesn’t work, you don’t have to spend my heat with me. But you’ll have to go get the supplies… Like last time…” There was a touch of shaky panic in his voice like Eren was terrified and desperate to stop it. 

He couldn’t do this again. They needed to stop it. 

Levi’s palms settled on Eren’s hips, fingers kneading flesh soothingly, voice husky and guttural as he spoke his assurances, concern settling in his guts, “Shh, I got you. If that happens, I’ll stay with you Eren, I swear... Just relax sweetness, I’m not going anywhere. I’ll do whatever you need me too. You can’t take any more suppressants though, it’s not good for you. I know you’re scared, I can smell it and feel it love, and you don’t smell quite like you did when you were last in heat, even if you’re slicking for me.” He swallowed an excess of saliva, wet his lips and shifted further down in his reclined seat, glad they were obscured from view where his truck was parked close to his garage. They hadn’t even made it inside the house yet; Eren couldn’t wait and from the throbbing in his already eager cock, he doubted he’d be able to make it either. “You’re okay, we’re okay, okay? I’ll take care of you Omega, love you,” he murmured as he leaned up to mouth along Eren’s throat, lapping at his sensitive and vaguely swollen scent gland.

“Okay…” the Omega sniffled, still looking incredibly worried, “I could kill Krista for this…” Eren’s hands dived down to undo Levi’s jeans before he began pulling at his romper, swearing as he realized he couldn’t easily remove it or even pull it to the side. “Rip it,” he ordered, grabbing Levi’s hands from his hips to pull on the fabric. 

With the scent of Eren’s arousal and slick becoming heavier in the cab of the truck, Levi hardly had to be told, the seams of Eren’s clothing coming apart under the pressure of his fingers as his muscles tensed. What the Omega was wearing underneath swiftly met the same fate and seeking fingers found their way to the source of the slippery sweet lubrication as Eren freed Levi’s swollen cock from its confines and gave it a firm squeeze. Levi growled and shifted his hips, his unoccupied hand sliding up Eren’s thick thigh to his hip, guiding him into position without resistance.

Eren’s eyes were filled with tears as he bit his lip, lining his entrance up with Levi’s cock then slowly sinking down. When he was finally seated in Levi’s lap he shuddered and exhaled, feeling the building irritation start to ease as his body relaxed from the penetration. Leaning forward to rest his forehead on Levi’s, he gave the man a shaky smile, “Mm… G-good…” he sighed, his insides rippling and tensing around Levi’s length as he rolled his hips over the Alpha’s lap, “Fills me up… feels good…” 

A thick, heavily possessive growl rolled in Levi’s chest as he arched under Eren, bottoming out inside the Omega with a lewd squelch. His hands groped roughly up and down his mate’s sides, hips and thighs as he began to rock his hips almost lazily beneath the roll of Eren’s and he brushed his mouth over the Omega’s as he met his misty, forest gaze. “Mmn, s’like you were made just for me sweetness. Fucking perfect, so pretty,” he murmured gutturally, breath hot against Eren’s lips as they moved against one another, the windows of his truck swiftly fogging over despite the summer heat outside. 

Eren’s head fell back as his eyes fluttered closed with a half smile on his face. Pushing down with his knees, he lifted his hips to inch off Levi’s cock then slammed back down with a gasp. Slick was still pouring out of him, drenching Levi’s lap but Eren didn’t quite care. His body was at war with itself with his heat being suppressed, but the need for his Alpha, the fierce want to be bred and marked weren’t going away. “I want-…” Eren breathed, head falling to his shoulder as he looked over Levi with glassy eyes, “I want you… Your bite…” almost like he didn’t realize he was saying it out loud. But Eren was coherent enough not to lean forward and bite the Alpha himself, no, he just lifted one hand to grab the hand grip on the roof and the other reached behind him to hold on to the steering wheel for leverage then began fucking himself on Levi’s cock in earnest. 

It was difficult with such minimal space, his head cranked to the side so it didn’t hit the roof and if he leant too far back he would hit the horn, but Eren didn’t care, gasps and whines leaving him every time he slammed Levi’s cock in all the way. 

Levi’s jaw twitched, teeth clenched and aching as he growled against Eren’s throat, aggressively nuzzling the Omega’s scent gland, and effectively covering his face in the vanilla coconut sweetness of his mate’s scent. There was a moment, a heartbeat, in which Levi nearly gave in to Eren’s call and once it passed, he wasn’t sure why he hadn’t. Maybe it was the strange threads of bitterness in Eren’s scent or the tone of distressed desperation in his voice, maybe the fact they were in his cramped truck cab and when he bonded him, he could only imagine Eren someplace soft and clean like those bamboo bedsheets he’d bought for them. In the end it didn’t matter the reason because his teeth only stung and didn’t break the flesh and he grunted his breath harsh and damp as he thrust up to meet Eren’s erratic movements. It wouldn’t be long; he could already feel the telltale throb of his knot swelling, catching against the slick-tight grip of Eren’s body with every fevered motion between them.

“Feels good… feels weird,” Eren whined, breath hitching with every movement before he slid down to latch onto Levi’s scent gland and suck up the pheromones his Alpha was excreting. He clutched onto the grips harder, the heat in his gut expanding to the rest of his body until he came with a garbled cry, shooting up to stain the cloth of his ruined romper. 

“Fuck,” Levi hissed, arching under Eren as the Omega’s body clenched and rippled around his cock, milking his own release from him. He thrust twice more before he drove his knot up into his mate. He stiffened, breath caught in his chest, for a minute, then shuddered as a low growl-groan rumbled in his chest and he came, filling Eren repeatedly for some seconds as his hips jerked.

He slumped back in his seat panting and sweaty, eyes lidded and thickly dilated as he looked at his spent mate, Eren’s previous words filtering through his hazy head with slow recognition. He coaxed Eren’s fingers from their cramped grip overhead and drew him in against his chest in the reclined seat. He began to draw lazy patterns over Eren’s back and shoulders, soothing as he tilted his head to the side to give his mate better access as Eren’s mouth found its way there again. “You alright sweetness? Still feel weird?” he asked, voice still rough and vaguely breathless, concern lacing the tone now that the lust had abated.

Eren snuggled into Levi’s warmth even though he was sweating from the heat and nodded his head. “I’m okay… I think… It’s settling, not like a normal heat,” Eren mumbled into Levi’s skin, “The suppressants… They aren’t working as well as they were at the beginning… My doctor said they might stop working at some point… I-, I don’t know what to do…” He sniffled once, then again, shoulders starting to shake as the tears he was holding back finally spilled in fat droplets. 

“I’m scared… I’m so scared,” he cried, gripping onto Levi’s shirt as he sobbed into his Alpha’s chest. He forgave Levi for leaving him, why couldn’t he just let it go? Why couldn’t he just go back to how he was before? Eren had never been afraid of going into heat before, and now the irrational fear refused to leave him. 

Levi’s response was immediate, a croon building in his chest as his scent began to take up the space entirely and he held Eren tighter. Pressing kisses to his damp hair, the Alpha assured in quiet, husky-smooth tones, “Shh, s’alright sweetness. I know you're scared. I know I put that fear in you. And I know it's hard to believe when I can only make promises right now, but when your heat comes again, I'll be there and you won't have to be scared anymore okay? You won't be alone again. I meant it when I said forever. Bonded or not, I know now, you're meant to be mine and I'm proud to call myself yours.”

“I know, I _know_ you won’t… I believe you I do, But the fear won’t go away! Why won’t it go away?” Eren cried, trembling and chest heaving as all the feelings came pouring out, “Every time I think about what happened… You don’t know, you weren’t there… It was so bad Levi, I can’t-, _hic_ -, I can’t even describe how bad it was… It broke me and it won’t go away, what do I do?” His fingers were gripping Levi’s shirt so hard he could feel the fabric start to stretch out and tear. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I c-can’t calm down. I’m sorry, I’m t-trying…” he bawled, breaths now stuttering as he tried to stop the sobs. 

The Alpha’s crooning became louder, thicker and Levi didn't hesitate to reach up and massage Eren's nape firmly. “I know… I came back everyday and Armin told me… I was an idiot and I panicked and then it was too late to take it back and I'd caused you so much pain. And I was too sorry to make it up to you; it was easier to let you let me go… I don't think that fear is going to go away until you can be sure, until it happens and I can keep my promises to you,” he said, continuing to rub the sensitive and vulnerable flesh of his mate's nape beneath his fingertips as he spoke, “I think… the suppressants probably aren't helping the anxiety love. They’re embittering your scent already and if they're already failing, I think you should stop taking them. I almost bonded you just now, but something didn't feel right about it and I think it might have been that. You shouldn't be scared when I bond you. At this point, they're doing more harm than anything. I'd rather you just talk to me instead of trying to keep it to yourself. I can promise I won't ever be angry about that Eren. I can't help you if you don't let me.”

Eren was quiet a moment before he pulled back to look at Levi with a tear streaked face, make up everywhere as it ran down his cheeks. “You… You came back?” he asked quietly, still sniffling and hiccuping but knowing Levi _didn’t_ abandon him, well not fully at least, was enough to calm the aching deep inside him. He had been too blinded with grief and betrayal at the time to realize that Levi probably suffered for leaving him during his heat as well; it wasn’t something that would have ever occurred to him. Biting his lip as he began to smile, he tilted his head down to look at Levi through his eyelashes. “Maybe… Maybe I’ll drop the dose down… That seems okay… Can’t just drop off but I could wean…?” Eren said, phrasing it like a question. 

“Yeah I couldn't stay away. It was hard coming here and staying outside when you were calling for me and I knew it, but it was harder to stay away completely,” Levi answered, nosing behind Eren's ear affectionately, still crooning lowly and kneading the back of his mate's neck tenderly, “And you can do it however you need to love, so long as you take a break from the suppressants in the end. I don't want you to hurt yourself because you're scared. I'm not perfect, but I'm not running.” A quiet hiss escaped him as his knot deflated abruptly, but he didn't move right away; Eren was still too vulnerable to let go of and Levi didn't want to even if he could.

“O-Okay… I could do that…” Eren said, finally letting go of Levi’s shirt to wrap his arms around the Alpha’s neck to pull him into a tight embrace, tears still spilling but in relief instead of terror. “We’ll figure it out… Together…” said the Omega, hoping that with Levi’s help he’d be able to stop taking the suppressants completely. 

“Forever sweetness,” the Alpha murmured in response, giving Eren a squeeze, “You got me and I got you.” He threaded his fingers through the back of Eren's hair and just held him until his tears finally ebbed and pressed a kiss behind his ear and smiled against his skin, “You ready to go inside now love? How's dinner and a movie sound, your choice... After we have a bath that is.”

“Yeah… This truck is cramped…” Eren said, pulling back to rub at his eyes but just ended up smearing his makeup more. Looking down, he cringed at the state of his clothes, stained and ripped. “I liked this romper too,” he whined unhappily, picking at the fabric as it hung forlornly off his body. 

Levi chuckled, cupping Eren’s face with his hands and thumbing away some of the streaked make up from beneath his luminous eyes. “Krista and her Alpha can owe you a new one. I think it’s the least they can do all things considered,” he said, smiling and watching Eren warmly for a couple moments longer before he readjusted his own clothing and opened the door, slipping out from under Eren, only to scoop him up seconds after, kicking the door shut behind them and took Eren inside around the back to avoid parading his less than decently dressed mate across the front yard. “Can you get the door sweetness, it’s unlocked...”

“Yeah,” Eren answered, completely limp in Levi’s arms trying to summon the effort to lift his arm and open the door. When he finally did, Nix was already there, greeting them with a wagging tail and lolled tongue. “Hi, Nixxy boy,” Eren cooed weakly, barely conscious. He was exhausted after their jam packed and emotional day, the Omega could barely keep his eyes open. 

The Alpha hummed, still smiling as he carried Eren out to the couch, leaving Nix to keep an eye on him while he dozed and Levi went to run them a bath. He returned in his underwear shortly after and retrieved the nearly boneless Omega, peeling the ruined romper off him once he’d gotten him to the bathroom then settled him into the fragrant water. He dropped his own drawers and slid in behind him, content to let Eren rest while they soaked together as his mind wandered and his fingers glided lazily across Eren's back. “Hey about what Krista said earlier… she was talking about the night we brought you home from the club… You’d had way too much tequila...” he trailed off quietly, unsure if his mate was even conscious enough to hear.

“Yeah, you guys had to take me home because I drank too much…” Eren sighed, content with the warm water sinking into his bones, “Don’t remember it though… I blacked out at the bar and woke up a mess, covered in slick.” 

“Mm you don't remember, but I do. I had to carry you and tuck you in. You thought you were dreaming...” Levi hummed, remembering the scene with perfect clarity. It had been painful.

“I thought I was…” Eren repeated, confused then suddenly flipped over in Levi’s arms, eyes wide in recognition. “Do you mean to tell me that the Levi that made me slick wasn’t one from my dreams, and that it was the real _you_?”

Levi half smiled and looked at Eren from beneath his lashes, palming at his sides with fond firmness, “That’s exactly what I mean to tell you sweetness. I didn’t tell you before because I didn’t want to embarrass you.”

Eren just cringed. “Well… That is embarrassing,” he whined, starting to remember how vivid that dream was. “You… I was having a hard time… I missed you, and you had already moved on and seemed perfectly happy without me… I was trying to force myself into being okay… It was like with Jean and Marco but probably a million times worse…” Eren tried to explain as he grimaced, “I wanted you back so bad… You know I’m terrible at hiding my emotions… and with the alcohol I couldn’t hold it in…” 

“Hey,” Levi interrupted, reaching up to brush a few wayward wet strands of hair back from Eren’s face and tucked them behind his ear, “You don’t have to explain love. It was hard for me too. I’m just better at hiding it. To be honest, I might have stayed if you had been sober. It wasn’t so long after that that I realized I wanted you back too. I just didn’t know how until my mom set me straight.”

“I may have acted like I was fully invested with Reiner… But I wanted you back the entire time…” Eren admitted, cheeks now bright red with embarrassment. “I never stopped wanting you… I wish I hadn’t been drunk…” said the Omega, leaning forward to press an open mouthed kiss to Levi’s lips, “I don’t think I’ll ever stop. I want you for forever.” Pulling back as he bit his lip, Eren suddenly looked worried. 

Eren needed to tell Levi. He couldn’t put it off any longer. 

“I um… I’ve asked you before, but how do you feel about kids?” Eren finally blurted out. 

Levi chuckled, “In general? Kids are alright, but I never really considered having any of my own. I’m not so sure I’ll make the best dad. I just got used to the idea of bonding, but I know you want them in the future, and I’d never take that away from you sweetness. So I guess it’s just another matter of time; it’s not like we’re just going to wake up with a kid one day anyhow, right?” he answered goodnaturedly, ignoring the vague buzzing of anxiety the idea of suddenly becoming a father incited. It wouldn’t be sudden with Eren and they could figure it all out together once they were bonded and things were settled. 

“That’s… True,” Eren said haltingly. And it was; even if he had been approved, he was sure it would take a long time to actually be matched with a child. Eren had researched the process extensively. He also hadn’t heard anything back from the agency since he was approved. No mail at all. So Levi was right. He didn’t need to stress about it now; by the time the Omega was able to finally become a mother, they’d be bonded and settled like Levi said. There was no need to worry the Alpha further, especially when Eren could smell the anxiety in Levi’s scent. “You’re right…” Eren said with a nod before he relaxed into Levi’s chest, “We can talk about it after we’ve bonded…” 

Levi's smile broadened some and he gave Eren another squeeze as the Omega settled back in against him. “Sounds like a plan to me love. It won't be so long now until we're bound together anyways. I think this shit with Reiner is nearly behind us and we can get on with our future,” he answered assuredly, taking Eren's stress as simply a byproduct of his overemotional state and probably in reaction to his own vague anxiety. 

It would be fine; they had time.


	34. Bricklaying

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Teapot was supposed to post this earlier but she forgot lol Enjoy!

It was the following weekend when Levi dropped Eren off early to assist Krista in prepping for the barbeque she and Ymir had invited them for in order to make up for the terrible first introductions and as thanks for their support despite the mishap. Levi had to run a few errands and thought his mate would probably benefit from spending a bit of time with the other Omega. The week had been a long one and yet Levi didn’t know exactly where the days had went between picking up Krista’s Alpha from the airport and where they were now. 

Eren had been needier than ever, glued to Levi every chance he got and like when they had first begun seeing one another, more often than not and sometimes multiple times a day, Levi found himself knotted to his mate. Eren couldn’t seem to keep his hands to himself (not that Levi minded) and sought to be connected with the Alpha as often as possible; even more possessive as well if the marks that littered his skin were any indication. Levi’d even begun meeting him daily for lunch because by the time the day was half gone, Eren’s texts were too anxious for him to ignore. The Omega needed constant assurance, suffering the effects of the hormones he’d overdosed himself with, but Levi diligently and without complaint soothed him, doted on and spoiled him, didn’t argue when the Omega demanded his attention, even when he was busy and never complained; even if he’d wanted to (which he didn’t), he couldn’t deny his mate.

He scented Eren heavily and shared a number of lingering kisses with him before the Omega had finally slipped out of Levi’s truck and made his way inside Krista’s place. Levi watched him until he’d disappeared and after briefly wrestling with the desire to follow his mate, instincts still sensitive and on high alert, he finally pulled out of the little lot next to the flower shop. He assured himself that the sooner he finished the errands he’d been assigned by Eren and Krista, the sooner he’d be able to return to his mate. 

Eren sighed as he walked around the building, wearing skin tight ripped jean shorts and a white floral crop top. He didn’t want to be away from Levi, didn’t want to be around that asshole Alpha, or even Krista in her after heat glow for that matter. But Krista had called the moment her heat was done, begging him to come to a bbq to make everything up to Eren. He didn’t know why she wanted him to like her Alpha so badly, but he would try for a friend. 

Letting himself in through the back gate, he passed the large greenhouse and continued on his way through multiple types of flowers and shrubbery until he reached the back of the building to see a large flower filled backyard with a nice deck covered in lounge furniture, a dining table covered with an umbrella, and a big ass bbq. 

“Eren,” Krista called, opening the sliding glass door from the second floor apartment with hands filled with a tray of food to prep, she carefully walked down the stairway to greet the other Omega. Eren was right, she _was_ glowing, hell probably more shining like the sun. Eren had to squint a little to even look at her directly with how bright she was smiling. 

“Hey…” Eren said, trying to smile but still remembering everything that had happened a week ago and all that had happened since. This was the first time in a week besides work he had been able to leave Levi’s side, and he was tense, unable to calm down. All he could think of was Krista wrapping her arm around Levi’s arm and saying he was her Alpha. It was enough to make Eren grit his teeth, but he managed not to frown at his friend who was smiling at him so sweetly. 

Krista set the tray down on the patio tabletop and brushed off her hands off on the skirt of her red-flowered white sundress, her radiant smile faltering as she looked him over, noticing the tension before his scent had even reached her. “Eren, are you alright? I… About last week, I owe you an apology. I know you know what it’s like when your Alpha suddenly returns to you,” she said, reaching up to rub at the still tender mark on the nape of her neck sheepishly, “I’m so sorry that I said something so selfish and insensitive. It’s no excuse, but I panicked…” She sighed, moving to take a seat and gesturing for Eren to take the one closest to her. 

“You know, you dream about it and pray for it to happen and you think you know exactly what you’ll do. I even prepared and practiced what I’d say, but then somehow I got all turned around in my head and I couldn’t stop thinking about the possibility that she wouldn’t want me like she used to and I couldn’t say any of the things I’d planned. It’s okay now though… Now that we’re properly bonded, I’m not afraid anymore. I don’t know if I’ve ever felt so at peace before to be honest… Sorry, I’m not trying to brag, I just…” she was rambling now, but she had a lot she wanted to say. Now that she had bonded, things had been made so clear to her and she wanted to do everything she could to help the other Omega that had really never been anything but a friend to her even when he’d been hurting, like now. No matter how he tried to hide it behind a gritted smile, she could practically feel his anxiety and upset, made more sensitive in her post-heat period. He smelled strange as well, his pheromones stronger and more bitter than she’d ever smelled them before and she felt responsible somehow, Omega instincts pressing her to comfort the other Omega. Something had to be wrong and she thought maybe it was time he knew the things she did. If she was honest, maybe he would talk to her; it seemed like he might need a friend that wasn’t his lover. “I don’t want you to think that … That I would ever take Levi from you. You know, he was never mine and I was never his, just like you were never Reiner’s. I don’t know if he’s told you, but I think you should know, that night at the club, when I went home with him after we dropped you off, he was really broken up… I’ve never really seen an Alpha so distressed like that… He was so afraid and hurting and he didn’t even understand that he was breaking his own heart…”

Eren heard her out, sitting with his hands in his lap, having a hard time meeting her eyes and completely unable to look at her new bonding mark. “We’ve… been talking more and more about what happened… Trying to understand what we both went through,” Eren said, looking off to the side, “Finally communicating with each other you know…” Eren sighed deeply then finally looked up to meet Krista’s imploring eyes. “When I broke up with him… two weeks before he met you… It was because he left me during a heat…” 

There was compassion and kindness in Krista’s cornflower eyes as she listened to Eren. She’d known that something pretty bad had happened between the two males, but Levi had never really said what it was; she’d gotten the impression he was ashamed and guilty over it and hadn’t pried. She couldn’t even imagine… It must have been awful for the other Omega. Certainly, she’d spent a number of heats on her own, but her Alpha had not been around. Ymir had certainly never run away from her during one. It said something about how terrified the Alpha had truly been of committing to Eren then, to have gone against all his instincts like that…

“Oh Eren… that must have been horrible… Are you… Is that why you’re afraid to go into heat?” she said quietly, her scent rolling off her in soothing and comforting waves as she reached out to take Eren’s fidgeting hands in hers and gave them a squeeze. He hadn’t had a heat as long as she’d known him; it didn’t take much to connect the dots. He must have been so lost and so hurt.

Eren’s eyes widened then he smiled sheepishly. “Am I that obvious? I guess I am… I’ve been taking an overdose of suppressants to counteract it… My doctor told me they might stop working because you can’t really stop your heat for that long… but I figured I’d cross that bridge when I got to it…” he said, then sighed, looking down at their hands and gripping Krista’s harder, “We are getting to that bridge… Your heat set me off but it wasn’t quite right ‘cause of the suppressants…” Biting his lip, he looked back up at Krista looking distraught and smelling like distress then immediately tackled her into a hug. “We talked about it… He promised me he wouldn’t abandon me this time and I promised I’d wean off the suppressants… But it’s… Its not the right time for a heat… I can’t… I can’t be vulnerable like that… I can’t even go home right now because it isn’t safe-...” Eren babbled into Krista's blonde curls before he immediately cut himself off and pulled back to look horrified, covering his mouth in shock. He wasn’t supposed to say that, wasn’t supposed to tell anyone. He was just being paranoid and now he’d gone and said it out loud.

Krista didn’t hesitate to return his embrace when he flung himself forward, was more than happy to listen and console him, her brows raised as his words just poured out of him in a sudden wave as if a dam had broken inside him. And just as suddenly, he retreated, his eyes bright with anxiety and fear, like he’d said something he shouldn’t have. She tilted her head, watching him, gaze warm and without judgement as she reached out to brush stray locks of hair from his damp face. “So that’s why you smell so bitter…” she murmured more to herself than to the other Omega before she caught his eye and continued, concerned and coaxing, “Eren, what do you mean “it isn’t safe”? What aren’t you saying?”

“It’s silly… It’s nothing!” Eren blurted, waving his arms in front of him and shaking his head in denial, “It’s just… Whenever I go to my house… It just feels like… Like someone has been there…” Eren rubbed the back of his head as his face scrunched up in frustration. “I’m being silly. It just feels like things were moved and other things are gone when I probably just forgot moving them… I’m being paranoid… But even when I’m not at home… It always feels like I’m being watched… Wherever I go… Even at work… The only place the feeling goes away is when I’m at Levi’s… Reiner just… he really scared me and now I can’t shake the feeling… And now I can’t even begin to figure out my fear of going into heat when this has been bothering me for a while…” Eren rambled, fidgeting and uncomfortable in his seat. 

Krista’s brow furrowed, her lips thinning as Eren explained. It didn’t sound like nothing to her… Stalking wasn’t nothing at all. “It’s not silly at all Eren. Lots of times abusers stalk their victims after the relationship has ended. My dad did it to my mom when I was little before we moved. She had to file for a restraining order… He broke into her car and came to our apartment and even tried to pick me up from school once. If you think it’s happening, it probably is. You haven’t told Levi, have you? Have you told _anyone?_ ” she said seriously, catching his hand in hers again and leaning in closer to him. She wished she could say she was surprised that Reiner may very well be stalking and harrassing Eren, but she wasn’t. After everything she’d seen herself and heard from Levi, she wouldn’t put it past the abusive Alpha.

“I didn’t want to worry him… He’s just getting comfortable with the idea of bonding… He didn’t want to do it until the whole Reiner thing was over… He’s happy Krista… This would just ruin everything,” Eren said, voice pleading with Krista, “As long as I’m with Levi the feeling goes away… I can handle this myself… I’d rather my Alpha didn’t go to jail for murder if Reiner _is_ stalking me… He’s dealing with enough bullshit from my screwed up hormones I don’t want to worry him further… You have to promise me you won’t tell him Krista… You gotta promise!” Eren’s voice was rising in pitch, looking more and more desperate as his anxiety was reaching dangerous levels.

Krista exhaled a breath through her nose, but nodded, “I won’t say anything, but you should. Nothing good ever comes from keeping those kind of things from your lover even when you think you’re protecting them. And besides, don’t you think this is only made worse by your hormones? Levi can probably tell something is going on, he’s probably just waiting until you are ready to tell him what it is. You can’t just brush all this off Eren. It could be dangerous. What are you going to do about Reiner?” She was prepared to support him no matter what, but she hoped she could at least sway him not to do anything too rash and also from not not doing anything at all. He couldn’t live like this; it wasn’t healthy.

“If it is him, which I’m not even sure it is… Or if I’m being stalked at all,” Eren amended, frowning hard, “But he’s so much bigger than me… When he almost bonded me against my will, it was pretty easy for him to pin me… Only reason I got away was hitting him so hard in the nuts, he probably tasted his own ballsack for a week,” He sighed and slumped back in his chair as his hands came up to hide his face. “This is impossible… Even if I got a weapon, he’d just overpower me…” 

Krista sucked her bottom lip between her teeth, worrying it as she considered the situation. She could definitely understand where he was coming from. She’d dealt with a few pushy Alphas over the years herself, though none who’d escalated quite to the extent Reiner had. She was about to suggest they look into getting him some heavy duty pepper spray when Ymir’s voice interrupted their conversation. She’d been so focused on Eren, she hadn’t even realized the protective-soothing tendrils of Alpha scent that had begun to permeate the air around them and didn’t have a clue how much Ymir had heard, until her mate spoke.

“Maybe… Maybe not… Depends on you,” Ymir said, leaning against the railing at the base of the staircase, her arms crossed laxly over her chest and watching the two Omegas with a narrowed and unreadable gaze.

Eren immediately looked up from his hands and scowled at the Alpha. “I’m not afraid of a fight! I took you on didn’t I? He’s just… He’s built like a brick shithouse! Every time I fought him when I dated him, he just overpowered me without even breaking a sweat,” Eren protested, bristling in response to Ymir’s words. “If you saw the colossal douchebag, you’d think twice about fighting him too.” 

Ymir chuckled, “You might not be afraid of a fight, but you're afraid of _him_. Not that that's your fault from what I understand of it… Your shortie took him down though didn't he? When you say impossible, that's an excuse; it's the fear talking,” she answered bluntly, “I've had extensive hand to hand training and if it taught me anything, it's that **no one** is invincible. You don't strike me as the submissive type so… You wanna learn how to kick that fucker’s ass and make him cry like a bitch? Or do you wanna keep running and making excuses?”

Eren glared at Ymir for a few tense moments before she looked to Krista then back at Ymir in disbelief. “How the hell did an angel end up with such a demon?” he groaned loudly, throwing his hands up in the air before he stood up and took off his heels then walked to stand before Ymir. With his hands on his hips and his feet spread apart he looked up at the Alpha and said confidently, “Alright, I'll bite. Show me what I need to do to make that asshole my bitch!” 

“That’s more like it,” the Alpha encouraged, grinning as she cracked her knuckles and stepped away from the staircase to face off with the Omega properly on the plush grass. Neither of them needed to get hurt during this little lesson. She was pretty interested in sparring with Eren; she’d met some pretty tough Omegas while she’d been in the military, but she’d never met any quite as quick to argue and attack as Eren. He was definitely a force on his own and she actually very much supported his friendship with her Omega. Krista wasn’t weak, but she wasn’t exactly strong or intimidating either and it made Ymir feel just a bit more comfortable knowing that she wouldn’t have to worry so much when the petite blonde went out with the other Omega to shop or tea or whatever it was the two of them did during their outings. 

She rolled her head on her shoulders and shook out her limbs idly as she eyed the Omega and began talking again, “So, I’m gonna teach you how to deflect, throw, and pin him. He’s bigger and stronger; you aren’t going to overpower him, no argument there. Here’s the thing, big, strong dickheads need a lot of momentum to get going and they are generally less agile so they’re usually slower than a constipated sloth taking a shit, plus the bigger they are, the harder they fall. You can be smarter and faster and borrow their power and knock them right on their ass and that's what I'm gonna teach you.” She paused, looking over his defensive stance and chuckling under her breath.

She shifted her own stance as her spicy scent rose lazily around her in challenge and she half smirked at the Omega as she prompted him, “Well, what are you waiting for firecracker, come at me like you’re gonna obliterate me, I know you want to.”

Eren sneered at the Alpha, balling his hands into fists as he bent his knees, lowering his center of mass. His eyes trailed her frame, noting her muscle and comparing it to Levi’s unconsciously. Levi was compact but beefy where as Ymir was tall and her muscle more spread out. Eren wondered if fighting her would be anything like fighting Jean, so he decided to just go for it, taking two wide steps before throwing his whole body into his right hook. If he connected, Ymir would definitely feel it. 

One minute, the Omega was charging at her and the next, he was on his stomach with his striking arm locked, hand pressed awkwardly to hold it in the locked position as Ymir’s foot dug between his shoulder blades. She leaned in to chuckle in his ear, “Say uncle.” There was enough pressure from her weight to be uncomfortable, but she wasn’t intending to cause pain though it was quite clear that in a situation outside of practice, quite a bit of damage could be done to the assailant if she used her full weight and pushed a little harder on the arm in her grip.

Dazed for only a moment, Eren managed hiss out, “Fuck you,” between gasps. He was wiggling in her hold but unable to move and having difficulty breathing with the weight of her foot pressing into his back. They struggled like that for a minute before Ymir applied even more pressure, managing to make Eren hiss more profanities and finally give in. “Okay okay, uncle you bitch, uncle,” Eren blurted, every word filled with spite. 

The Alpha laughed, but finally let him up when he surrendered, even offering him a hand up from the ground. “Effective, no?” she grinned, enjoying making the feisty Omega bristle and hiss like a wet cat.

Grabbing her hand, Eren pulled himself up, fire and determination in his eyes and an excited energy in his body. “Do it again,” he commanded before he launched himself at her, not allowing her to adjust before he tried to tackle her around the middle. 

Ymit half-turned, pivoting on one foot and used Eren's own momentum to send him sprawling once again, following him while he was still reeling. Her forearms braced across his nape and pressed his cheek into the grass as her knees settled uncomfortably on the joints of his shoulders. “That was a dirty move firecracker. I like it. Demonstrates the effectiveness better. You could kill a man with this one,” she said, grinning down at him over his shoulder, her eyes glinting with triumph, bouncing her weight on his back a couple times and making him groan before she released him and offered her hand again. 

“Yeah yeah, keep running your mouth. Teach me how to do it so I can put _your_ ass on the ground instead…” Eren grumbled, wiping the grass off his jeans. Ymir just smirked at him then walked him through multiple holds then allowed Eren to put the Alpha on the ground just like she’d promised. Eren put way too much force behind his throws, but Ymir didn’t mention it, never complaining and surprisingly patient as she taught him, though her teasing never stopped. 

Krista was busy watching them, smiling at their banter and their groans as they threw each other around, glad that the two were finally getting along. Ymir was showing Eren the basics of breaking out of a pin, her body on top of his as they wrestled on the grass and no one noticed when a deadly aura descended upon them. 

The low growl that rolled through the yard was menacing, guttural and rough, powerful like the dominating scent of the Alpha that the sound was coming from. Levi wasn't even consciously aware that he was making any noise at all, gaze narrowed on where Ymir had his mate pinned to the grass, hands clenched around the handles of the bags he held so tightly that his fingers were numb. It didn't matter that their scents weren't aggressive or distressed, that Ymir was bonded and that Krista was present; all he could see was another Alpha on top of his Omega while Eren struggled beneath her. His instincts had been on overdrive for days and the scene before him had them rising viciously, possessively protective and prickling his skin with the desire to tear her off of his mate. “What the fuck is going on here?” He’d only been gone an hour!

All three froze for a breath, staring at Levi with slack jaws and wide eyes before Eren flailed into motion, accidently kicking Ymir right in the box before pushing her off as she sweared through the pain. “Levi! Don’t freak out! It’s not-... Ymir’s teaching me self defence… ‘Cause I’ve been so anxious and yeah! She wasn’t hurting me I promise!” Eren explained, scrambling to get up then flapping his arms in the air like a bird trying to get the Alpha’s attention. Levi was currently staring at Ymir like he was calculating the best way to rip her head off and Eren couldn’t have that; not when the female Alpha had been so supportive. 

The growl in Levi’s chest tapered, becoming huskier, as it faded but didn’t dissipate entirely, his skin still tight and itching as he watched Eren clamber up after knocking the other Alpha off of him and leaving her to pull herself up rather awkwardly given the smarting between her legs. Served her right as far as he was concerned. His gaze shifted from Ymir’s slowly straightening form to his mate again as Eren gestured wildly, stepping towards him and he wasn’t aware when he let the bags loose from his hold or when he took the first steps to meet him. 

Most of what the Omega was saying in explanation was static, half making sense somewhere in his more logical mind, overshadowed heavily by the need to check Eren over and mark him, erase the scent of any other Alpha on _his_ mate’s skin, and unconcerned by the other couple’s presence as Krista wasted little time in moving to her bonded’s side. Eren was vulnerable, had been vulnerable for some weeks and it was too difficult to fight the urging of his instincts as he quite abruptly had him in his arms, immediately beginning to scent him. It wasn’t rough, but it wasn’t gentle, aggressively possessive and protective, claiming and intent. Satisfaction rumbled in his chest as he effectively drowned out the other Alpha’s scent with his own and it took a long moment for him to make words properly exit his mouth again, “Self-defense?”

Eren’s hair was tousled, cheeks flushed, and eyes dilated as little breathy whimpers escaped the Omega. He felt like his knees had suddenly turned to jello and his mind had drifted to tackling Levi to the ground and riding him right in the backyard. But the thought was interrupted when Levi finally spoke. “I… um… Yeah, just in case,” Eren said still dazed, “She um… heard about Reiner and wanted to help… Use his body weight against him like you did…” 

The Alpha hummed, glancing from his mate to the other couple and back at Eren again, trying not to give in to the desire to strip the now ravished looking Omega and mark the rest of him skin to skin. But he managed to control himself if only because of the two women present. Instead he focused on his curiosity, gripping onto Eren's words to ground him and settle his wild instincts. “Oh? Show me,” he requested, lips finally upturning in a vague smile as he palmed the other male's sides and squeezed with fond firmness.

“Okay,” Eren said, smiling brightly before he grabbed Levi by the forearm, turned one hundred and eighty degrees then flipped Levi over his shoulder, slamming the Alpha into the grass. 

Levi grunted, not having quite expected the Omega to take an offensive approach when he was _supposed_ to be showing the Alpha what he’d learned defensively. He blinked, trying to draw in a proper breath after it’d been knocked out of him and pushed himself up from the ground stiffly. 

He eyed Eren, pupils dilating and backlit by heated liquid mercury as he accused roughly, “Cheater. That wasn’t defensive. I didn’t even get to attack.” He idly brushed his hands off on his thighs, still watching Eren from under his lashes, seemingly lax when he abruptly lunged forward, low, to tackle his taller lover, excited by the game they were now playing. Eren was really something and it only made the Alpha want him more; he’d always found the strong parts of the Omega as attractive as the more delicate ones. He was proud to belong to the younger male, all the more if Eren put him on the ground again.

Eren squealed loudly as Levi tackled him and laughed as they both fell to the grass and began to wrestle. It was hard to view Levi as an enemy so their tumbling and rolling was much more playful, and Eren found himself yielding to his Alpha without even thinking about it; nothing like the way he’d fought Ymir with every fibre of his being. Soon enough Levi had Eren on his back with his hands pinned above his head, and the Omega couldn’t help but arch and wrap his legs around Levi’s hips. It was instinctual now whenever Eren was under the Alpha, his head turning to the side as his eyes grew lidded and his coconut vanilla scent strengthened with arousal. The Omega couldn’t think of any other person that could calm his fire and get him to submit willingly without a struggle. Eren _wanted_ to submit to Levi. 

The Alpha grinned down at his lover triumphantly, admiring the Omega under him for a long moment, gaze following the curve of his neck appreciatively and his fingers kneaded at Eren’s wrists as he held them pinned to the grass overhead. He made a throaty sound somewhere between a growl and a hum and dipped his head to claim the offered prize, nosing and nipping along the soft column of Eren’s neck, reveling in the feel of his mate’s legs around him and drawing him in. And it wasn’t until the sound of Ymir’s voice breached their space followed by the cold spray of the hose soaking his back that he remembered they weren’t alone and backed off his mate with a growl.

“I definitely didn’t teach him _that_ ,” the female Alpha said, lowering the hose in her hand and smirking at the other Alpha as he glared at her, “He can’t show you seriously ‘cause he likes it when _you_ pin him. Let’s you and I have a go instead. I owe you one anyhow.”

Levi raised a brow at the challenge in Ymir’s scent before he pushed himself up from the ground and offered Eren a hand up. “Alright. I’m not going to go easy then,” he agreed, peeling off his wet shirt and shaking stray droplets of water out of his hair. He handed it off to his mate before he faced off with the other Alpha, and his own scent clashed with hers spectacularly, accepting the challenge she’d issued. Might be fun to show off a little for their Omegas and it’d be a lie if he denied the desire to get even for the cheapshot. She only grinned and cracked her knuckles in response as they began to slowly circle each other.

Unable to take his eyes off Levi now that he was half naked, Eren drifted over to where Krista was biting her lip and hugging herself anxiously. 

“Is this okay… Do you think they will hit each other? Should we stop them?” she asked Eren, her honeyed vanilla scent spiking with worry while Eren was too busy drooling, eyes fixed on the wet, beefy muscles of his mate. 

Probably scenting her mate’s unease, Ymir looked over her shoulder and smirked confidently at the petite blonde then slowly pulled off her own shirt to reveal her bound chest and toned torso and threw it at her bonded cheekily. Krista’s worry was immediately silenced as she began to ogle her own Alpha, pale cheeks turning furiously red.

“See it’s fine…” Eren said, the fire of desire in his eyes as he leaned on the smaller Omega familiarly just to rile Ymir up further, “Let’s just enjoy the show…”


	35. Lawn Rolling

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Finally getting to the part we've been waiting for for two years XD Almost there guys!! WOOP  
> Art at the end by Xander<3

“Hold still you big baby,” Eren hissed, trying to clean out one of Levi’s scraped elbows. The wound was raw, covered in grass, and oozing drops of blood, much like the rest of Levi’s wounds from his so called ‘sparring’; more like battle royale. “I can’t believe you two threw each other around for that long… You’re completely covered in scrapes and bruises,” Eren said with a sigh, clearly annoyed by his Alpha but still patching him up like a doting Omega.

They were back home in the bathroom, Levi seated on the toilet in only his boxers while Eren was standing in front of him next to their first aid kit filled with gauze, bandages, alcohol wipes, and bandaids on the counter. Once the scrape was cleared of grass, Eren smeared some polysporin on the wound then placed a bandage, smoothing it over Levi’s skin with a flat palm. He finished by leaning down to press a gentle kiss to the dressing then moved on to the claw marks on Levi’s forearm with a “tsk”.

Levi hissed and fidgeted a bit more before he replied to his lover, watching the Omega with a lidded gaze, “It was fun though and don't pretend you and Krista weren't loving every second of it…” He leaned forward, wrapping his unoccupied arm around Eren's backside and pressing his face to the Omega's taut belly, inhaling deeply, rumbling appreciatively in his chest as he exhaled, “I can still smell it on you sweetness.”

Eren allowed Levi to pull him close, his arms wrapping around his Alpha’s neck, not even trying to stifle his aroused scent. “Can you blame me? It’s pretty fucking hot to see you go toe to toe with another Alpha… I had a boner through the entire thing… But I’d rather my Alpha not be beaten up… I’m the only one that should be putting scratch marks and bruises on you and only during a nice rough fuck,” Eren said, hands lifting to run through Levi’s undercut, his nails scratching his Alpha’s scalp lightly.

The Alpha hummed, scenting Eren affectionately. “She didn't beat me up, least not any worse than what she got… Though I can't say I don't like the way you think. You're welcome to mark me up anytime princess,” he murmured huskily, pushing Eren's shirt up as his hand slid beneath it and he pressed his mouth to the soft caramel skin around the Omega's navel. “You're so beautiful. I'm still not sure what I did to deserve you. I should be scared, but I'm more worried if I don't hold onto you tight enough, you'll slip right through my fingers,” he breathed between damp kisses, fingers spreading possessively over Eren's back and chest respectively, holding him between them so he could worship his skin, reveling in the heat and scent of it as he looked up at Eren from beneath his lashes.

“Mmm, watching another Alpha pin me really worked you up, eh?” Eren asked, the hand in Levi’s hair now pulling at the strands, “You’re the only Alpha that can make me submit willingly… I couldn’t even get myself to fight you… I wanted to be belly up and throat bared the second you had your hands on me…” Eren smiled wickedly down at Levi before he crawled into the Alpha’s lap. Somehow, having told Krista about Reiner, and receiving Ymir's promise to continue teaching Eren how to defend, Eren felt more solid, like he wasn’t about to break. The confidence that had withered and died with Reiner was finally starting to come back, and it felt great.

“S’good ‘cause all I wanna do when you’re under my hands is touch you anyway,” the Alpha murmured, pulling back to peel Eren's shirt off entirely and running his hands over the Omega's bare thighs once he’d tossed it aside. He leaned up to nip along Eren's collarbones as he rocked his hips up lazily against the Omega's backside, arousal and adoration in his thick citrus-salt scent.

Eren couldn’t help but shiver and arch his back, nosing into Levi’s neck to rub his face on the Alpha’s scent gland. Even though they’d been fucking constantly since his almost heat, there was no underlying fear or desperation, just desire. His hormones must be starting to even out from the weaning process; the difference was huge. The Omega felt more relaxed, more able to lap at Levi’s scent without going into a frenzy. It felt good to lick and nibble on his Alpha’s scent gland without feeling he was going to die if he didn’t bite down. Everything felt _better_.

The bitterness in Eren’s scent was still present, but not like it had been and Levi was pleased. His Omega would be healthy and happy and all the shit that had happened would be behind them; they’d only have the future and he was looking forward to it. He squeezed Eren firmly, just holding him for a long moment, breathing him in while his eager cock throbbed under the Omega. Tracing both hands down Eren’s back, thumbing over the dimples above his rear before moving on to hips and finally curling under thick thighs, he growled throatily, scent heavy with Alpha desire and claim. His grip firmed again and he abruptly stood up, lifting his mate with him and humming his approval when Eren wrapped his legs around him and held on tighter without hesitation.

He made his way to his loft without really seeing, his attention wholly on the precious creature in his hold, his feet moving of their own accord. Once up the steps, he laid Eren back on his bed, lingered long seconds until he could coax his lover to release him so he could remove his boxer-briefs. He kicked them aside and paused when he looked back down at his Omega spread across his sheets and Levi didn’t think he’d ever seen a prettier sight. He stood at the foot of the bed, hand lazily stroking his cock as he took his time to just admire Eren, molten mercury eclipsed by fatly dilated pupils and fringed in charcoal lashes caressed every available inch of caramel skin, lingering heatedly in his favourite spots, and seeking out new ones, cataloguing beauty marks and committing them to memory because he’d never have enough time to just look at him. His gaze was hunger and devotion and worship and he sucked his bottom lip between his teeth as it finally met Eren’s and a needy growl rolled through his chest.

“I… I haven’t finished patching you up,” Eren said belatedly, sprawled out and squirming on the bed as Levi devoured him with his eyes. His shorts were becoming uncomfortably tight so he pulled his hands down from above his head to undo the button and rip down the fly. Rolling onto his belly, he lifted his ass high into the air while his cheek remained pressed into the bed, reminiscent of the first time they ever had sex. Eren gave Levi a coy smile and said, “A little help?” wiggling his hips to entice Levi forward. He wanted his Alpha to undress him and see the slick that was pouring out of him. He didn’t know when it had started, but he could smell it on himself, thick and heady in the air. The Omega wasn’t surprised it turned out like this; he’d been aching for it since Levi showed up in the middle of sparring with Ymir.

Levi was drawn, didn’t have to be asked more than the once before he was crawling onto the mattress behind Eren, tenderly tugging the Omega’s shorts and underwear off and tossing them carelessly behind himself. He shuffled forward, sliding his hands up and down Eren’s sides and leaning in to press his tongue to the little dip of the Omega’s tailbone, lapping up the salty sweetness of Eren’s sweat from his skin greedily, lingering there until Eren was squirming and whining and attempting to flatten himself beneath the Alpha. He growled breathily over Eren’s wet skin, nibbling and licking along the Omega’s spine from base to nape, lavishing attention and marking along the way until he was pressed along Eren’s back and his mouth was behind the Omega’s ear, cock nestling in between the slick cheeks of his ass and rubbing teasingly over the eager hole. “You know what it does to me when you’re like this?” he murmured huskily, breath hot against the other male’s ear, “Nothing consumes me the way you do, _Omega._ I just… have to have you.”

Eren’s breath hitched, tilting his head as Levi whispered into his ear. “I guess… I uh… haven’t done this… presented… in a while,” Eren said, his breath becoming laboured as his body quivered in anticipation. There was a lot of meaning behind this position, and Eren hadn’t felt comfortable doing it since the first time but now things were different. Eren couldn’t help but rock his hips into Levi, trying to get more friction on his slick entrance, but it wasn’t enough.

“Then have me,” Eren moaned, shoving back into Levi more insistently, “Lord knows I’m not… mmm… patient enough for… for foreplay…”

The Alpha chuckled breathily and nipped behind Eren’s ear before he pressed his mouth to Eren’s nape, just beneath where the soft leather of the tethered key rested and shifted his hips back restlessly. He spread one hand over the small of the Omega’s back heavily, possessive and steadying as his other snaked between them to guide his cock where Eren wanted it. And he set his teeth against the vulnerable skin as he sank inside with a guttural growl, bruising, but careful since there were still bitter threads in the Omega’s scent no matter how Eren bloomed for him. There was promise in the pressure though, a temporary marking until he could safely make it permanent. It was enough, but only just and only because he could say without doubt that it would be soon.

“ _Fuck yes, Alpha_ ,” Eren hissed, savouring the stretch of his entrance and the pressure of teeth on his nape. He knew Levi was trying to give him a moment to adjust since they did no prep, but Eren was already rocking forward and back trying to get Levi roll his hips and thrust inside. “C’mon, c’mon, c’mon. You know what I want, Alpha…” Eren whined.

Levi made another throaty growling sound, pulling his hips back slowly then snapping them forward, pressing Eren down harder so he could repeat the motion. He ground and rolled his hips into him, pinning him down with tender firmness, murmuring praise between open mouthed kisses and rough bites all across Eren's shoulders and nape. He shifted, angling his thrusts just right to assault the Omega's sweet spot and kept Eren still as he pounded into him at an intoxicating pace, building his knot slow but steadily.

“Fuck…” Eren swore again, doing his best not to flatten under the power of Levi’s thrusts, “Fucking _shit_! I love you, Alpha… Levi-... love you!” Eren didn’t realize how good this would feel without the numbing of the suppressants. He also didn’t realize what kind of burden it was to worry about being stalked. It was like some of the weight he didn’t even know he was carrying was lifting off his shoulders and Eren could breathe and feel his Alpha out from under the haze. He could feel Levi’s body behind him, the throbbing of his knot inflating, and he could hear the growls of possession. It felt so good, Eren could feel tears fill the corners of his eyes and his mouth stretch into a smile between gasps.

Levi dropped his head between Eren’s shoulders, panting harshly between guttural grunts and dulcet feral growls against Eren’s arched spine. His hands gripped the Omega’s hips in a bruising hold as he kept his pace, until he couldn’t and he snarled as he forced his knot inside the tight-slick heat and left a raw bitemark on Eren’s left shoulder as he held him still and filled him with cum, growling and whining through the entirety of it, unconscious of the sounds as he rode out his orgasm and reveled in the bliss that was being locked to his mate.

Eren cried out, continuing to rock back on Levi’s knot until he reached his peak himself, vision whiting out as he came all over their bedspread. The orgasm was so intense, his eyes whited out and his knees buckled, collapsing under Levi’s weight and covering himself in his own mess. “That was…” Eren mumbled into the mattress, “Intense…”

Levi hummed his agreement hoarsely, still catching his breath even as the first quiet croons began to rumble in his chest. His grip gentled, stroking with fingertips and soothing palms as he lapped over the wound he’d left before slipped them under his mate and carefully maneuvered the both of them onto their sides. He held Eren against him to keep his knot from jostling too much within the Omega and buried his face in the exposed side of Eren’s neck. “Precious…” he murmured, lips cherishing Eren’s skin, as he palmed his belly tenderly, “I love you Eren.”

“Mm, you better…” Eren said with a sigh, beginning to purr to accompany Levi’s croon, “I love you too… Things are finally looking up…”

The Alpha gave his mate another affectionate squeeze and was silent for a long moment aside the thrumming croon vibrating in his chest. He rubbed his cheek against the side of Eren’s neck and exhaled a thick, contented sigh. “I didn’t hurt you did I? I didn’t mean to bite so hard,” he asked quietly, stroking his fingers along the side of Eren’s belly and hip, lazily tracing the soft-smooth dips and curves.

“Nah… it felt good… too good… I wonder how the real thing will feel,” Eren said with a sigh as he fantasized about Levi’s teeth marking him permanently, “Besides you know I like a little pain with my pleasure. Just made my orgasm sweeter and my Omegan side sing for joy.” Eren snuggled back into Levi and sighed once again. “I want to give you babies.”

Levi smiled against Eren’s skin, “I know and you will someday. Until then, we can just focus on being an us, yeah? And I’ll do my best to keep making you sing ‘cause you know when we have brats, we’ll have to be a bit more _reserved_...” he paused, a low hum rumbling in his chest as he pondered, “Probably more creative too. Might be kind of fun now that I think of it.” He gave Eren a playful nip on the crook of his neck and reached up with one hand, fingertips rough but adoring as he turned Eren’s head to meet him in a proper kiss. It was so easy like this; not a damn thing to be afraid of. Any future in which Eren shared his bed and lit up the way he did now was one Levi was unwilling to give up and no amount of insecurity was going to keep him from it.

Eren blinked, then grinned. “ _When_ we have kids, huh? You’ve let me wear you down Ackerman. Your bachelor days are almost officially over…” Eren said with a pleased snicker. He loved getting what he wanted. He loved that Levi was starting to want it too.

“Oh sweetness, they were over the moment you gave me that second chance. You’re it for me. There’s no going back now, even if I wanted to,” Levi replied amusedly, lips against Eren’s jaw, “Which I don’t. I want _us_ Eren, if that means I’ve got to share you with a brat or two eventually, I think I can learn to live with it.” He paused for a breath and smirked wickedly, “Besides, then I can check off milfs on my kink list.”

Eren burst out laughing, unable to stop himself from squirming where they were tied, forcing Levi’s knot to jostle inside him but he couldn’t stop laughing. “Oh my… _God_... I can’t breathe!” Eren squealed between gasping giggles.

Levi groaned through his own laughter and squeezed Eren around the middle in a poor attempt to keep him still since it wasn’t as if he really minded; the sensation was a torturous one, but it wasn’t as if they hadn’t been in this position before… He rubbed his face over Eren’s scent gland, still smiling, and rolling his hips teasingly, “Why do I always make you laugh while I’m knot deep inside you? Guess masochism is on the list too.”

“ _Asshole_ ,” Eren tried to hiss but it came out as a strangled giggle instead. It took a couple more moments for Eren to get a hold of himself before he scolded, “Just for that, I’m not going to be gentle when I finish dressing the rest of your wounds! Yeah, you thought knotting me would make me forget? No sir! I’m onto you, Alpha!”

“Pfft that was part of my plan all along. Didn’t I just say I’m a masochist?” Levi’s response came out rougher and more breathless than his last had been and he shifted his hips again, “Mmn, you keep wiggling like that, ’m pretty sure we’ll both forget all about it. I don’t even feel them anyway; your ass magic must have healing properties. ”

“If you're a masochist… Then I should make you pull out before you knot me next time… I’m sure that would be absolute _torture_ ,” Eren said with a maniacal giggle, turning his head to show his devilish smirk.

“That would depend on whether or not you have the willpower to not beg me for it love;” the Alpha retorted, lowering his lashes and grinning right back at Eren while slipping a hand down to grope the Omega’s thigh, “Given past experience, I’m liking my odds here.”

Eren groaned. “You know I’m competitive… why would you egg me on?” he whined, clearly unhappy with the idea of having to go through with his plan. Eren liked to be knotted just as much as Levi liked to knot him.

Levi only chuckled breathily and nibbled a taunting trail over the back of Eren's neck as he continued to unabashedly grope him.

Eren just snuggled backwards with a sigh, allowing Levi to do as he wished, basking in the affection his Alpha was giving him.

 

***

Days go by and turn into weeks and Eren had a new routine. He was now living at Levi’s house in every way but officially. Neither of them talked about it, it just turned out that way. They would get up early in the morning, and Eren would get ready while Levi made him breakfast. He would drive to work and Levi would meet him for lunch if the Alpha had time, trekking over to Kuchel’s place hand in hand for some delicious food.

Eren wasn’t working overtime anymore. His department had just finished a successful project and won the bid on another so the Omega was busy but not overwhelmed. Pixis was continuously singing his praises, and though the board didn’t say one thing or another about everything that had happened, Eren was given a bonus and a nice pay raise for his trouble. They even started a mandatory seminar about workplace harassment and Eren noticed that a lot of his workers had backed off considerably from staring and making comments. It was nice.

After work, Eren would head to the flower shop where Ymir continued on with his lessons and even Krista would pop in for some training as well. Eren was a quick learner, soon enough becoming a match for Ymir herself, but Eren had a hard time sparring with Krista, letting her win way too often. When Levi was done work, he’d show up too sometimes with Nix in tow. That was usually the end of Eren’s lesson since Ymir and Levi would always get into an Alpha pissing contest. Thankfully none of their sparring resulted in injuries like the first.

Levi and Eren would head home when the sun set and it was too dark to continue wrestling, and they’d make dinner together then eat it watching Netflix. Sometimes they were too exhausted to have sex before bed, and sometimes they were too horny to even care about making dinner. But mostly it was just amazing to be together like this and Eren decided he was happier now then he ever had been in his entire life. He wished it would never end.

_But all things must end, mustn’t they?_

Walking down the front steps of his office, Eren quickly dialed Levi’s number then pressed his phone to his ear and listened to it ring. It was Friday, so he was dressed a little more casually, a sleeveless black dress cinched at the waist with a belt with grey pointed flats and a grey briefcase. It didn’t take long for Levi to pick up, greeting the Omega with that husky growl that threatened to melt Eren on spot.

“Hey, Krista wanted to borrow some of my jewelry so I have to make a quick stop at the house. I also have a couple boxes of clothes I wanted to donate. Mind helping me haul them out?” Eren asked, walking up to his car and clicking it open from the fob before he slid in gracefully.

Levi smiled, phone tucked between his ear and shoulder as he wiped his hands on a rag and closed up the drywall mud he’d been applying to Issy and Farlan’s newly near-finished basement. “You got it sweetness. I know how much you love making me sweat,” he replied cheekily, “Give me like half hour or so to finish up here and I'll be over.”

“Good little pack mule! Okay-I-love-you-buh-byeeeee,” Eren said then hung up before Levi could reply.

The drive back to his house was quick as Eren sang at the top of his lungs to the radio with the windows down and the sunroof open. The Omega was in a good mood until he pulled into his driveway.

The house was exactly as he remembered and nothing was out of place but Eren had this horrible feeling as he got out of his car. He stood staring at the house with narrowed eyes for a moment before he shook his head and stood up a little taller. Eren was better now, less afraid, and this was _his_ house. He wasn’t going to let the fear get the better of him. Nothing bad was going to happen to him he promised himself, so Eren swallowed down his paranoia and made his way inside.

Unlocking the front door, Eren noticed the knob was a little loose. _Huh_ , he should get Levi to fix that he thought as he took off his shoes then walked to the kitchen to deposit his briefcase on the island. He immediately noticed that the kitchen window was open, making the curtains blow in the wind and Eren frowned. The Omega didn’t remember leaving the window open but then again, he hadn’t been to his house in some time now. Leaning over the sink, he closed the window and locked it, thinking that his counters must be covered in dust from the outside now. Sighing loudly and leaning his weight on the counter, he added cleaning to his list of things to do while he was there. Eren started to ponder the idea of hiring a cleaning service when just at the bottom of his peripheral vision, something else peculiar caught his eye.

His ashtray, filled with cigarettes, sitting in the sink. Eren _knew_ that these couldn’t possibly be his. He hadn’t smoked in weeks, managing to kick the habit since his relapse after the board review. His frown grew deeper as he picked up a snubbed out butt to inspect. These weren’t even his brand of cigarette. He didn’t know many people that bothered to buy these since they were so god damn expensive-... _Oh no_.

Eyes blowing wide with shock, Eren whipped around as the scent of chocolate and cherries filled the room, making his stomach flip. There was no way, his ex Alpha couldn’t be here. There was no fucking way.

“Hey _baby_ , it's been a while,” Reiner greeted with a deceptively pleasant smile, leaning against the wall at the entrance of the hallway. “Been waiting for you, not like I don't have the time now. Did you think you'd won?” His voice was low, rough like he hadn't used it in a while and he was a few days into a beard, more disheveled than he’d ever been. His life was in ruin at the moment all because of this Omega. Because of Eren Jaeger and his pipsqueak boyfriend with daddy issues. He'd become completely obsessed, needing to know just what Eren was doing at all times, but the Omega had been smart enough to stick close to his Alpha for weeks. He was hardly ever on his own and Reiner wasn't allowed on the property at work after his dismissal. It wasn't even that he needed the job or had any loyalty to it; it was about pride.

Eren was an Omega and he should learn his place; Reiner had a moral obligation to teach him. Even with those motives, the Alpha remained lax, non aggressive propped there as if he owned the space, as if he was entitled to it, just watching the shell shocked Omega, waiting. He had time…

“You need to-...” Eren started, his voice cracking as his body began to tremble, trying to take a step back, but bumping into the sink behind him. Steeling himself to stop from outright shaking in fear, he swallowed hard and tried to speak again, “You need to leave. You are trespassing, I will call the police.”

“Will you really? I don’t believe you will. If you call anyone at all, I think we both know who it would be,” the brawny blonde replied, narrowing his icy eyes and finally taking slow and seemingly unthreatening steps towards Eren though his scent was decidedly domineering and bitter with his displeasure. “Still no mark even if you smell like mates,” he snorted, reaching out to brush some of Eren’s hair behind his ear and expose the kissmarked, but scar-free column of the Omega’s throat. “Makes you wonder doesn’t it? If he’s so sure, what’s he waiting for? Maybe it’s you,” he half-circled Eren, inspecting him intimidatingly, “It’s too bad, you gained all that weight back…” His breath washed over the back of Eren’s neck tauntingly and Reiner smiled smugly when the Omega tensed further, “Do you think if you called him, you’ll be as lucky as the last time?” Reiner wasn’t worried; no one was going to be there to save the Omega this time.

“I-” Eren began, but his tongue felt like lead in his mouth. He was frozen in fear, unable to move, unable to _think_. He needed to get away, he needed to fight, but Reiner’s scent was filling his airspace, making it hard to breathe as his eyes filled with unwelcome tears. Hands curling into fists and forcing his manicured nails into his skin bitingly, Eren forced his eyes up to meet the Alpha’s. He would not keep his eyes lowered, he would not tilt his head to bare his neck.

Eren refused to submit to Reiner.

“What the _fuck_ do you want from me?” Eren hissed through clenched teeth, “Why can’t you fucking just leave me alone you piece of _shit_?”

“Because you deserve it, but mostly, because it’s fun,” the Alpha loomed over Eren, smiling with a disturbing sweetness, continuing to talk, but not touching the Omega again, just taking up his space and reveling in his anxiety. “People like me don’t stay in trouble for long anyways,” he paused as if he was pondering something, stalling simply to further cow the Omega, “Do you think Levi’s gonna stick around once that kid’s here? I mean without a bond, he ain’t exactly obligated and it’s not like it’s even his or _yours_ for that matter. There’s nothing more unattractive than a single mother you know… It really says _something_ , don’t you think?”

Eren’s face scrunched up in confusion. “What are you-”- _oh fuck the adoption_ How the fuck did Reiner know about that?- “That’s none of your business. Levi’s not fucked up like you! He _wants_ to be my mate and have a family.” Eren glared up at Reiner then yelled, “Now, get the fuck away from me,” as he raised his palms and shoved the Alpha in the chest as hard as he could, sending the hulking mass stumbling back into the island behind him.

Reiner didn’t even bother to push back, leaning back into the counter he’d bumped into and blinking once or twice before he started to laugh. He laughed for a good long minute before, wiping tears from his eyes, he chuckled, “Shit that’s rich. You don’t even _know_ , I thought they would have called you by now to confirm.” He paused to dig into his back pocket for the opened envelopes addressed to Eren, tossing them onto the end of the island closest to the Omega, “And I’ll agree with you, Levi’s a whole ‘nother kind of fucked up. I bet he’s all on board while it’s a fun fantasy, but when that little girl’s stuck to your hip, he’s gonna cut and run just like his daddy did.”

Several bills and other random pieces of mail as well as three from the adoption agency. His formal acceptance, an update, and finally the one that said they’d found a match for him; a three-year old, female, Alpha, _Mikasa_ (there was even a grainy picture of the sullen and tiny child), and she would become Eren’s little girl in a matter of days now so long as everything was in order and he should be expecting a call a few days before her arrival at the Family Surrogacy and Adoption Center just to go over the process and be sure he was prepared for her.

“Fuck you, Reiner, you don’t know Shit. Levi is a billion times more of an Alpha than you will ever be!” Eren hissed then snatched the mail up, eyes quickly scanning the words. It was like the Omega was on a roller coaster, his heart soaring into the air in elation. He was accepted, they’d found a match! He was finally fucking going to be a mother!

But then, his heart dropped to his toes. This was too soon. Why didn’t they call? Or email? Or anything? He hadn’t even told Levi about his application.

_Levi_.

Levi didn’t know. They weren’t even bonded yet. He was supposed to be giving the Alpha time. Eren knew Levi was still dragging his feet on the bonding even though he promised he wanted to be together for forever. But that was okay, the Omega accepted that. Except now… What the fuck was he going to do?

Thoughts were racing through Eren’s head as he read the paper over and over again, completely forgetting about the very real threat still standing in his kitchen. That was until a hand gripped him painfully by the neck and forced Eren to look back up at the hostile Alpha.

“You know what I know?” Reiner growled harshly, leaning in towards Eren as he jerked him around, “I know that you're an Omega and that he's not here right now to protect you. And I know that if I bond you right now, there's not a damn thing he can do about it.” He smiled as he turned Eren around, manhandling him roughly until he had him just how he wanted him and grazed his teeth teasingly over the already bite-bruised skin at the Omega's vulnerable nape just to terrorize him a little more. He didn't expect Eren to fight back.

For a moment Eren couldn’t breathe, Reiner’s muscular arm squeezing his windpipe as soon as he was put in a chokehold. And for a moment, Eren panicked.

He couldn’t scream. He was kicking and struggling but it did nothing to stop Reiner from scenting him. The Omega could feel the drag of the Alpha’s teeth on his scent gland and Eren thought he was going to throw up.

No. No. No. No, no, no, no, _no_.

This wasn’t happening. Reiner was not going to bond him. Levi was his Alpha. They were going to have a family. Eren couldn’t give up now. Not when everything he ever wanted was so close. Not when Ymir took so much time to train him. He could do this. He could _win_. He just had to _try_.

Getting his feet underneath him, Eren planted them on the tile shoulder width apart as his hands came up to dig into the muscle of Reiner’s forearm. Using all of his strength, he flung himself forward, and managed to flip Reiner over his back and head first into the tile. As soon as he was released, Eren stumbled backwards and gasped for air, scrambling to get as far away from Reiner as possible before the Alpha grabbed him again.

It wasn’t until he’d made it to the front door that he realized the Alpha wasn’t moving, laying on his back between the kitchen and the dining room. But Eren didn’t take any chances, throwing the door open and stumbling out of the house.

Levi knew something was wrong; he had a bad feeling in his guts and he sped the last few blocks to Eren's place. When he saw the Omega stumble down the front steps into the yard, he barely managed to throw his truck into park before he jumped out of it, left idling haphazardly across part of the lawn and driveway behind Eren's car. His scent immediately spiked and spread across the yard as he sprinted to catch his mate in his arms. Eren was shaking and breathing irregularly and there were tears and Levi could smell the other Alpha on him. He covered it over with his own without hesitation, removing it from Eren's skin as quickly as possible and holding the Omega so tightly, he was afraid he’d hurt him. “Where is he sweetness?” he asked in a hoarse and guttural murmur; he’d kill him if Eren hadn't already.

“Need to… call an ambulance…” Eren said haltingly, like his mouth was stuffed with cotton and he was having trouble forming the words, “I think he hit his head…” He was clinging to Levi, still shaking, but the fog of desperation and adrenaline was starting to lift now that Levi was there.

“Okay, I got it,” the Alpha replied. He wanted to find Reiner, be sure he wasn't getting up anytime soon, but he didn't let go of Eren, couldn't and reached into his back pocket for his phone as he kept his mate pressed against him with the other. He tilted his head, baring his scent gland to the Omega instinctively as he dialed 911 and held the cell to his other ear, voice quiet, calm, and commanding as he spoke with the dispatcher in place of his mate, holding him as the distant sound of sirens started up some blocks away. And he began crooning as they waited, concerned and protective, but also proud because Eren had managed to hold his own against his attacker; he'd have to remember to thank Ymir.

Both ambulance and police showed up, their trucks taking up the street in front of Eren’s house as his neighbors came out to see what all the commotion was about. The paramedics paused on the lawn to check on Eren before they hauled a stretcher inside to deal with Reiner. One police officer stayed with the couple to take their statement while the other escorted the paramedics inside.

“So… Reiner Braun is your ex-boyfriend,” Officer Jinn said aloud as he wrote the information down.

“Yes… he’s been um…” Eren started, pausing to look at his Alpha sideways before he continued, “He’s been stalking me for a while now… breaking into my house and stealing my mail… He confirmed during the attack…”

Levi slanted his own gaze at Eren, but didn’t say anything about the revealed information; he’d known something was making Eren anxious for weeks now. Levi didn’t blame his Omega, though he was a little hurt that Eren had kept it from him.. He continued on from where Eren had left off instead, turning his gaze back to Eld, “He recently was let go from his position at TC where Eren also works for harassment and gross misconduct. He has a history of abuse and violence towards Eren.” He knew both officers, had went to highschool with them; Eld had been a freshman and though Oluo had been in the same grade as Levi, they’d never hung around in the same social circles, but they’d been decent as far as Levi could remember.

Eld’s brow furrowed and his lips thinned into a line of distaste as he wrote down what Levi had said as well; he’d seen way too fucking many of these cases in this city and he’d only been on the force five years. Looking up to ask another question once he’d finished, he was cut off by shouting and the pop of a submission gun going off inside the residence and immediately started off towards the house, leaving the couple alone once again.

The wait was brief, a few minutes before the two Alpha officers escorted a fuming and still bleeding Reiner out the front door, cuffed and cursing in their hold, threatening to sue all of them as if anyone was listening. They were followed by the EMTs, the Omega of the pair looking shaken and smelling nearly as distressed as Eren. When the uniformed Alphas attempted to pull the blonde passed Eren and Levi, he dug his heels in, looking right at Eren and grinning despite the severity of the situation, though he addressed the raven haired Alpha when he spoke, “I just gotta ask, are you much of a family man Levi? You never struck me as the type, then again you don’t really decide when you become a father, specially when you don’t got one of your own to properly learn from, do you? In this case, I think your daddy was probably right in running and you oughta take a page out of his book before--”

Eren’s vision went red and the Omega lunged forward out of Levi’s embrace to punch Reiner right in the throat then kneed him in the balls before anyone could think to hold him back.

Cross-eyed, Reiner was brought to his knees as he choked and wheezed through the tracheal spasms while his legs tried to clamp together to cradle his balls. Everyone else froze, stunned at what they just witnessed.

“He never fucking shuts up does he?” Eren asked, breaking the silence as he shook out his hand. He looked like he was deciding whether or not to hit the Alpha again when the officers hauled the brute of an Alpha to his feet once again.

“You should really watch your step, Mr. Braun,” said Eld with a huff.

“Less talking, more walking. Don’t want you to _trip_ again,” added Olou, catching Levi’s eye before he nodded then led Reiner to the back of the cop car, completely ignoring any of his complaints or demands for the Omega to be arrested as well. “We’ll be in contact sometime soon,” he bid, tipping his hat before he slid into the driver’s seat and the car pulled away from the curb followed closely by the ambulance.

Levi was quiet for a long minute after, just processing. Everything seemed to have happened so fast, but in slow motion at the same time. And then it hit him; it was finally over with Reiner. Regardless of what threats the blonde Alpha had made, Levi knew, they wouldn’t be hearing from him again. He looked at his mate and opened his arms to him once more without hesitation, “C’mere sweetness. You’re too far away...”

Eren turned to face Levi, but didn’t move, biting his lip and looking down instead as his hands balled into fists. There was so much he hadn’t told his Alpha, so much he’d kept hidden. Still, Levi waited for him with open arms, forgiving him for everything.

What if he didn’t forgive him the next time?

Reiner’s words, no matter how much Eren didn’t want to believe them, were echoing through his head.

Eren had to figure this all out. He had to talk to the agency, put a hold on the paperwork or something. He would tell Levi when it was all figured out.

Eren just needed… a little more time. Just a little more time and everything would solve itself. Then he would tell Levi everything and he would never keep anything from his Alpha again.

This was for the best.

Nodding to himself, Eren took a step forward then threw himself into Levi’s arms. “I’m sorry…” he said into Levi’s skin as tears started to stream down his face, “For everything…”

“Water under the bridge; I’m the one that made you afraid to tell me shit to begin with. I’m not always honest, but I’m trying. Maybe we’re not there yet, but we will be. Even if you hurt me or piss me off, you’re always forgiven; I’m in this for keeps sweetness, the good, the bad and the ugly,” the Alpha murmured, smiling against Eren’s tangled, but soft hair, holding him tightly, one hand curved over his nape and the other firm around his waist as his scent enveloped the both of them with honest devotion and protection. Nothing was truer than that; even if Eren wrecked him or betrayed him now, Levi knew he wouldn’t be able to stay away from the Omega, not for long anyway and he trusted Eren even if they still had a lot to learn. It wasn’t supposed to be easy and painfree anyhow; it was just worth it.

Looking at Eren, he knew, it would _always_ be worth it.

“I hope so…” Eren whispered as he nuzzled into Levi’s neck for a scent mark.

Whatever happened, as long as they made it through together in the end, everything would be okay.

[](http://s311.photobucket.com/user/XanderBradeshaw/media/SNK%20arts%20by%20me/rmh1-filtered_zpsyhdbej5z.jpeg.html)

**Author's Note:**

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